Reflecting on growth, shaping the future

Delivering fast-moving multi-national fraud investigations, complex expert witness engagements and cutting-edge forensic technology assignments, 2024 saw a number of notable achievements for our Forensic Services practice.

Forensic Services annual review

A year of growth, innovation, and milestones for Forensic Services

2024 has been another year of growth for our Forensic Services team, with continued high demand leading to further expansion of our team and yet more recognition.

We were delighted to celebrate Laura Dymott’s promotion to Partner. Laura leads the forensic accounting aspects of some of FRP’s highest profile contentious insolvency matters and played a key part in the UK’s largest ever wrongful trading claim against former directors of BHS.

The appointment of Alison Hollywood broke new ground for FRP, establishing an office in Belfast. Alison, who joined us from PWC, specialises in advising clients on complex business interruption claims. Alison has been joined by Sinead O’Neill who joins as a Director.

Internal promotions in the year included Harry Trick and Molly Sandquest to Director and Holly Baker to Senior Manager.

We have real strength in depth, with our six Forensic Services Partners and eight Forensic Services Directors being supported by a team of 38 forensic accountants and technologists, located across our offices in London, East Anglia, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol and Belfast.

Chris Osborne, Forensic Services Partner

Engagements delivered during the year included complex investigations, multiple expert witness appointments including breach of warranty claims, contentious valuations and professional negligence matters, eDiscovery and computer forensic investigations.

We were pleased to be recognised in Chambers and Partners Litigation Support Guide for the sixth consecutive year for our forensic accounting services and for the third consecutive year for our eDiscovery services. Chris Osborne was named 'Asset Recovery Expert of the Year' at the Lexology Index Awards, and recognised as 'Global Elite Thought Leader' by Who’s Who Legal. Andrew Fingerett was listed in Financier Worldwide Magazine as an 'Exceptional Expert' in International Arbitration.

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Case study

Wrongful trading and misfeasance against former BHS directors

Laura discusses FRP’s role as liquidators of the BHS group since 2016, focusing on forensic investigation, financial analysis, and litigation. The case drove advancements in our forensic services technology capabilities, through the introduction of the Relativity platform for document review. Extensive financial analysis on this case led to multiple litigation efforts, culminating in a six-week High Court trial. The ruling found wrongful trading and misfeasance, awarding over £150 million in damages against former BHS directors.

Read more about the landmark ruling here.

Laura Dymott, Forensic Services Partner

Delays and defects: Conflict in construction

It’s an unfortunate reality that disputes are commonplace in the construction sector. And while they are often resolvable, they can also be incredibly costly.

Henry Pocock, Forensic Services Partner

Case study

Forensic accounting in a construction dispute

Henry talks about our  role in a construction dispute over renovation work at a leisure venue. The client faced a seven-figure loss of profits claim, which was referred to adjudication. Our Forensic Services team quickly reviewed and challenged the opposing report, highlighting overly optimistic assumptions. Despite business model changes and COVID-19 complexities, their response within two weeks contributed to a favourable outcome, strengthening client and legal team confidence.
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Disputes and investigations

Discussing disputes and investigations insights

Faye Hall, Forensic Services Partner

Resolving private client disputes with financial expertise

Faye discusses her work on private client disputes including divorce, contentious probate, and Trust work. She provides independent asset valuation and financial analysis to private client lawyers, helping families navigate disputes. Faye can simplify complex financial structures, clarify asset values, and present findings in layman’s terms. Her involvement often prevents court proceedings, or alternatively, she'll serve as an expert witness, aiding settlements before trial.

Jonathan Wheatcroft, Forensic Services Partner

Investigating fraud and integrity of management

Jonathan talks about our work on a primarily UK-based, global consumer markets business, where auditors had concerns about potential fraud and the integrity of management. We were appointed to investigate concerns swiftly, using our independence and forensic expertise. The Forensic Services team analysed data including emails and mobile phone records to piece together evidence, which resulted in the company addressing the problems uncovered.

 

Beyond the digital: Forensic document examination

Exploring how forensic document examination remains critical in uncovering hidden truths in investigations. In today’s digital age, it is easy to overlook the importance of physical documents and the crucial role they play in many investigations and Court cases.

Jon Walklin, Forensic Technology Director 

Adrian Coates, Forensic Technology Director

Forensic technology

Digital forensics and document analysis in legal cases

Jon discusses FRP's work in digital forensics and document analysis in 2024, highlighting collaboration across our disciplines. He talks about how AI has increased challenges to evidence, driving increased demand for forensic analysis, as well as how we leverage integrated forensic disciplines to strengthen collaboration, challenge incorrect evidence, and provide clients with thorough and precise forensic insights for their cases.

Exploring the evolving forensic technology landscape

Adrian explores the evolving forensic technology landscape in 2024, highlighting a major shift as short message data from platforms like WhatsApp and Teams now surpasses email in volume. This change complicates investigations, with private chats lacking audit trails. Mobile data collection is crucial but raises privacy concerns. He advises businesses to implement clear communication policies, ensuring they are prepared for modern investigative challenges while balancing privacy and legal requirements.

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Alison Hollywood Hollywood FRP Belfast. October 24 2024.
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Insurance claims landscape increasingly complex

Alison discusses what she's seeing in the Northern Irish and Scottish markets. She notes that the insurance claims landscape is becoming increasingly complex, even for small business interruption claims. Alison anticipates that key focus areas for 2025 will include ongoing Covid-related business interruption claims, warranty and indemnity insurance claims due to rising sales, and normal business interruption claims impacted by extreme weather, political risk, and economic instability, which will lead to coverage and quantification challenges.

 

Alison Hollywood, Forensic Services Partner

Forensic Services team ranked in Chambers and Partners guide for sixth consecutive year

Our Forensic Services team has been ranked in Band 2 in the Chambers and Partners Litigation Support Guide for the sixth year running; with Forensic Services Partner, Chris Osborne being recognised as a notable practitioner by the directory for the fifth consecutive year.

Event

Annual Forensic Services team conference

In May, our expert Forensic Services team gathered for an inspiring internal conference. This day brought together leading professionals from across our national network of offices to share insights, foster collaboration, and exchange best practices. The conference was an incredible success, offering a platform for engagement and innovation. As an annual event, it ensures we continue to strengthen our connections, enhance our expertise to deliver even greater support to our clients.

Event

Annual forensic services and contentious insolvency event

In September, we hosted our annual Forensic Services and Contentious Insolvency gathering at the prestigious Middle Temple. This special event brought together our experts, colleagues from various practice areas, clients, and valued professional contacts. It provided an excellent opportunity to foster connections, exchange insights, and collaborate in a dynamic and historic setting.

Predictions for the future of forensics

Where will be the focus for forensic services in 2025? We explore advanced fraud detection, growing disputes, tighter compliance demands, and cutting-edge forensic technology to tackle complex challenges and evolving regulatory landscapes.

Insights from experts

Article

Navigating the future of retail

FRP’s inaugural retail conference proved to be a dynamic and insightful event, tackling both the current challenges and emerging opportunities within the industry. Chaired by Steven Cook, former CEO of Debenhams, he set the scene by highlighting the evolving landscape, driven by disruptive market forces, shifting consumer behaviour, and a particularly challenging economic backdrop.

Article

Failure to prevent fraud: three areas for immediate action

Molly Sandquest explores what businesses should be doing now to comply with new anti-fraud legislation. The UK’s Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) demonstrates renewed focus on the fight against fraud, money laundering and other forms of economic crime.

Article

Short message data and eDiscovery: how to keep focus?

Harry Trick explains how a ‘human-first’ approach to short message data in eDiscovery can help drive results and efficiency. Recent high-profile events show the importance of ‘short message’ data.

Article

Discover what The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act means for you

Molly Sandquest explores the headline measures and the implications for businesses.