FORENSIC ACCOUNTANT

Job description

Purpose of the role:

To assist the national Forensic and Accounting Services Team. You will be required to apply your accounting and forensic skills to a wide variety of complex and demanding engagements including commercial disputes, quantum calculations, fraud investigations, bribery and corruption investigations, forensic intelligence gathering, M&A transactions, financial due diligence, data analytics assignments, business reviews and business valuations. Candidates are expected to have the skills of a qualified accountant (ACA or ACCA) who has experience within a forensic accounting environment.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Advising on quantum and commercial aspects of disputes (acting for clients in both high court proceedings and international arbitrations) including preparing detailed loss calculations, interest calculations and business valuations
• Advising on the accounting aspects of fraud, financial and regulatory investigations, regulatory compliance programmes and risk assessments and conducting investigations
• Review and analysis of accounts and financial data (for a range of purposes including investigations, security for costs applications, financial due diligence, quantum)
• Preparing decision tree analysis to assist with presentation of legal advice, options available to clients and assessment of settlement parameters
• Supporting our lawyers and clients prepare for mediations and settlement negotiations
• Desktop research of businesses and individuals
• Advising on technical accounting issues in the context of post-acquisition disputes, submissions for expert determinations and claims for breach of financial warranties
• Advising on and collating information required to support a claim/conduct an investigation
• Using data analytics tools and techniques to analyse large volumes of data
• Undertaking financial due diligence
• Building financial models for use in disputes and corporate transactions
• Document reviews in connection with financial investigations and disclosure
• Interviewing witnesses and sources in connection with investigations and disputes
• Drafting notes/reports summarising work undertaken and input into pleading documents
• Liaising with independent expert accountants and critique of expert accountant reports
• Presenting on and giving training to lawyers and clients on technical accounting topics
• Business development and marketing initiatives internally and externally

Person Specification

Qualifications:

• A relevant qualification in accountancy (such as ACA or ACCA) - 1 - 5 years PQE
• Forensic accounting experience from Big 4, forensic accounting boutique, other accounting firm or professional services firm
• Education to degree standard (minimum 2(i) Hons) - ideal for degree to be in accounting, finance, law, economics or another business-related field
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Visio
• Experience of document review platforms and in particular Relativity
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Fluency in English essential

Relevant Experience:

• Forensic accounting experience including commercial litigation, expert witness, business valuations and investigations
• Business development and marketing initiatives
• Business intelligence gathering
• Data analytics
• M&A and corporate transactions
• Compliance audits
• Experience of document review platforms

Key Skills / Personal Qualities / Behaviours:

• Confident, resilient, and enthusiastic
• An inquiring mind
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work closely and collaboratively with lawyers and clients, articulating findings in a clear, concise and meaningful manner
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels and establish credibility with colleagues and clients
• Ability to handle a demanding and varied workload
• Highly collaborative, a good team player and keen to contribute ideas
• Commercial awareness and knowledge of corporate activity and market trends
• Self motivated and possessing good time management skills
• Good communication and presentation skills both written and verbal
• Ability to build working relationships internally and externally
• Demonstrable ability to solve problems and think laterally
• Ability to analyse and assimilate information quickly
• Analytical skills (high degree of competence in Excel and data analytics tools)
• Takes responsibility and enjoys being challenged
• Exercising some degree of judgement, identifying and prioritising key issues and knowing when to consult with others across the wider team.

What will we offer you?

We are a market leading, dynamic and growing team who work with colleagues (lawyers and other professionals) across our Firm. We invest in our team and provide career development opportunities. We will support you in adjusting to our unique in-house forensic accounting role. Given the nature of our team and the type of work we undertake, you will have early responsibility and opportunities to develop client relationships and new revenue streams. Our team also benefits from the wider Firm's training programme which will assist you in developing as a specialist with valuable sector knowledge and the ability to deliver \"best in class\" services.

About the Firm

Pinsent Masons is a global 100 law firm, with over 3,400 employees operating out of 26 locations across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. We have a long-standing reputation for delivering high-quality legal advice rooted in a deep understanding of the sectors and geographies in which our clients operate. Our global reach ensures that we are well-placed to advise on complex multi-jurisdictional matters across a full range of legal disciplines.

The firm has significant multinational credentials in the financial services, energy, infrastructure, real estate and technology, science and industry sectors. Services provided across these sectors include asset management and investment funds, corporate and M&A, commercial, competition, litigation and arbitration, banking, restructuring, insurance, regulatory, construction, projects, pensions, property, planning and environmental, procurement, outsourcing, employment, share plans and incentives, technology and tax advice.

We champion change and promote progress to make business work better for people. Pinsent Masons has embedded a range of diversity and inclusion initiatives to create an environment in which its people can flourish. We operate an agile working scheme, which offers our employees flexibility in terms of where, and how, they work.

We stand out for our innovative approach to service delivery. For example, the firm has developed a number of in-house legal technology and project management solutions, operates a hub of freelance lawyers, called Vario, and a global Diversity and Inclusion consultancy, Brook Graham. Put simply, we offer a range of professional disciplines to our clients, enabled by our people, process and technology.

Awards

Pinsent Masons has achieved more tier 1 rankings in The Legal 500 UK guide than any other firm, won the \"Law Firm of the Year Award 2021 - Legal Business\" and is recognised among the most innovative law firms in Europe by the Financial Times. The firm has been recognised as a leading lesbian, gay, bi and trans employer by LGBT charity Stonewall in its Top Global Employers Index 2020 for the fifth consecutive year. Please click here to view full list of our global awards and nominations - www.pinsentmasons.com/accolades

Should you require further details, please contact our Advisor Haseeb who can discuss the role and requirements. Contact details:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/h-khan-461174238/

[email protected]

At Pinsent Masons we value diversity and inclusion. We are committed to creating a better workplace where all our talent can succeed and feel like they belong. We want to attract, retain and develop people at all levels and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates whatever your ethnicity, religion, age, physical or mental disability/long term condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristics protected by local law in the jurisdictions in which we operate.

Please note that interviews for this role will be conducted from 1st September 2023.

#LI-LRHKOne of our Firm's key differentiators is our in-house Forensic & Accounting Services team. Our long established and growing team comprises chartered accountants with backgrounds in forensics, audit and corporate finance. We work with colleagues (lawyers and other professionals) across practice areas, sectors and offices on global mandates to produce outstanding results for our clients by providing multi-disciplinary professional services. We add value by ensuring the commercial, financial and accounting aspects of disputes, investigations and transactions are considered in conjunction with the legal aspects, allowing our clients to make more informed decisions.