Companies worldwide are on alert due to the U.S. government's continued aggressive enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the recent enactment of the UK Bribery Act, as well as escalating regulation resulting from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. BDO has a host of tools at its disposal to support clients in their efforts to comply with these laws and regulations, including professionals located around the globe who are trained in the latest forensics techniques.

With a surge in demand for computer forensics and e-discovery skills related to investigating potential fraud and corruption, BDO Consulting annually sponsors an International Computer Forensics & E-Discovery Conference for BDO member firms to share best practices in order to enhance the firm's ability to serve clients globally. This year's sixth annual conference was held in Delhi, India, a location chosen in light of the rapidly developing need for forensics expertise in South Asia. "India, among other countries, has been identified as being at a higher risk for corruption," says Nidhi Rao, a BDO Consulting Director who attended the conference. "U.S. multinationals doing business in India need to be aware of potential issues that they might encounter in order to avoid costly FCPA violations." A Delhi native fluent in Hindi, Rao met with several India-based law firms while she was there to discuss corruption risks endemic to the region and ways in which BDO's global integrity services could assist their clients with anti-corruption efforts.

In order to further international knowledge sharing, members of BDO Consulting's Anti-Corruption and Investigations practice invited several representatives from BDO's international network to join them at the American Conference Institute's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act conference in National Harbor, Maryland. BDO Consulting Director Martina Rozumberkova shares, "It was a wonderful opportunity to meet our international colleagues in person, and learn more about their work in their respective countries. I believe it will naturally enhance the collaboration among our firms." Conference attendees addressed recent topics affecting the anti-corruption landscape, including the SEC's adoption of the final whistleblower bounty and protection rules, recent judicial decisions under the FCPA, the growing relevance of foreign bribery laws, as well as the commitment by many countries throughout the world to increase their efforts directed at investigating and prosecuting corruption.

Contact Ms. Rao at nrao@bdo.com and Ms. Rozumberkova at mrozumberkova@bdo.com.

BDO Consulting Partner Stephanie Giammarco, who leads the firm’s Data Analysis, Computer Forensics and E-Discovery practice, recently accepted an invitation from the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS) to join its Advisory Board. ACEDS is the member organization for professionals in the private and public sectors who work in the field of e-discovery. It serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas, guidance, training and best practices, and also offers e-discovery certification. Giammarco will join a distinguished group of experts to help guide ACEDS, which consists of numerous companies as well as law firms including Hogan Lovells, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP and King & Spalding.

Ms. Giammarco is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Information Technology Professional and Certified Fraud Examiner, with more than 16 years of experience providing litigation support in matters involving financial statement fraud, employee misconduct investigations and corporate litigations. She has extensive experience collecting, preserving and analyzing electronic evidence, as well as implementing e-discovery tools pursuant to litigation and investigations in the United States and internationally.

Contact Ms. Giammarco at sgiammarco@bdo.com.

BDO Consulting Director Nicole Sliger was recently retained to provide an expert opinion on behalf of a not-for-profit advocacy organization in a litigation matter involving individuals with developmental disabilities pertaining to Medicaid waiver reimbursements. She testified as to the computations and data analyses that BDO had performed in reviewing certain reports, in order to describe their derivation, as well as to identify any discrepancies in the data used to prepare the reports.

Nicole Sliger is a director in the New York office of BDO Consulting. She is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner with over 10 years of experience in accounting for private and publicly traded businesses. Also Certified in Financial Forensics, she assists public and private companies with allegations of fraud, involving forensic and corporate investigations, as well as securities litigation and regulatory enforcement matters. In addition, Ms. Sliger regularly publishes and presents on fraud topics.

Contact Ms. Sliger at nsliger@bdo.com.

BDO Consulting recently announced employee promotions, which went into effect on Oct. 1, 2011. Jenna Aira-Ventrella, who is based in BDO Consulting’s Los Angeles office, was named director in the firm’s Computer Forensics and E-Discovery practice. With over 11 years of litigation consulting experience, Ms. Aira-Ventrella’s work focuses on electronic evidence acquisition, collection and preservation protocols and methodologies, as well as e-discovery best practices relating to the management and analysis of large data sets. She assists clients with e-discovery issues pertaining to investigations or litigation, drafts discovery protocols and participates in Meet & Confer conferences. Working collaboratively with counsel, Ms. Aira-Ventrella helps identify suitable e-discovery platforms to address case management and project needs, including analyzing data processing and communicating engagement progress. She has managed projects domestically and internationally, including foreign language reviews. Ms. Aira-Ventrella is a member of the Southern California chapter of the High Technology Crime Investigation Association, as well as the Secretary and past Chapter Co-Chair of the Los Angeles chapter of Women in E-Discovery.

Kirstie Hackman, located in the Chicago office, was promoted to senior manager in the firm’s Data Analytics practice. Ms. Hackman has over seven years of experience providing data analysis, IT consulting, computer forensics and e-discovery services. She has supervised teams assisting internal audit groups to analyze possible fraud, as well as to develop plans for risk management, spreadsheet risk remediation, and real-time fraud and error detection. She has also reviewed email, imaged computers, ran procedures and scripts on images, prepared databases for email extraction, extracted emails and documented evidence forms and procedures.

Ms. Hackman regularly conducts fraud investigations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance reviews and unclaimed property tax reviews including policies and procedures development and implementation, in addition to providing fraud prevention services in various industries. Ms. Hackman is a Certified Fraud Examiner and an Oracle Certified Associate. In addition, she serves on the Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic Young Professionals Advisory Board.

Contact Ms. Hackman at khackman@bdo.com and Ms. Aira-Ventrella at jaira@bdo.com.

Marlene Rabinowitz is a partner in BDO Consulting with over 18 years of experience assisting clients with matters related to bankruptcy and insolvency, business disputes, accounting and auditing, and forensic investigations. As co-chair of BDO Consulting’s Women’s Initiative, she drives the firm’s efforts to increase the recruitment, retention and advancement of women by fostering an environment rich with opportunities for personal and professional growth. Recently returned from maternity leave, Ms. Rabinowitz sat down with us to share her thoughts.

Q: You recently returned from maternity leave, how does it feel to be back?
A: It’s nice to be back in the swing of things; reconnecting with my co-workers and contacts. I’m still working on finding a balance between home and work, but I’m finding it satisfying to be able to do both.

Q: What inspired you to get involved with BDO Consulting’s Women’s Initiative?
A: It’s important that the younger generation of women in the firm have female role models. Keeping and retaining women in the firm is one of our top priorities.

Q: Do you have any advice for female professionals in the early stages of their careers?
A: Never be afraid to ask for what you want. It’s important to work with mentors or career advisors to find practical ways in which you can contribute to the development of the firm, as well as in your own career. Focusing on the quality of your work is the best foundation from which to develop value for your clients, as well as for the firm, and of course, for your own career advancement.

Ms. Rabinowitz is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor and Certified Turnaround Professional with experience working with troubled and insolvent companies involving both reorganizations and out-of-court workouts representing debtors, unsecured creditors and secured lenders. She also has experience in various insolvency-related litigation matters, as well as investigations and SEC enforcement actions involving financial statements.

Contact Ms. Rabinowitz at mrabinowitz@bdo.com.

ABOUT BDO CONSULTING
BDO Consulting, a division of BDO USA, LLP, provides litigation, investigation, business restructuring and risk advisory services to clients in the United States and internationally. Our highly experienced and well-credentialed professionals leverage the global industry and accounting knowledge of the BDO international network, providing rapid, strategic advice to assist our clients. For more information, please visit: www.bdoconsulting.com.

BDO is the brand name for BDO USA, LLP, a U.S. professional services firm providing assurance, tax, financial advisory and consulting services to a wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies. For 100 years, BDO has provided quality service through the active involvement of experienced and committed professionals. The firm serves clients through 41 offices and more than 400 independent alliance firm locations nationwide. As an independent Member Firm of BDO International Limited, BDO serves multinational clients through a global network of 1,082 offices in 119 countries.

BDO USA, LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership, is the U.S. member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO Member Firms. For more information, please visit: www.bdo.com

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