David Hess

Managing Director

+1 703 796 2880

Two Freedom Square
11955 Freedom Drive
Suite 550
Reston, VA 20190
United States of America

David Hess is a managing director in Kroll’s Complex Accounting, Disputes and Regulatory Compliance Services practice. He has more than 20 years of experience providing forensic accounting, auditing and consulting services in both the government contracting and commercial arenas. David has experience serving clients across a wide range of industries, including aerospace and defense, shipbuilding, energy, construction, manufacturing, retail and distribution, government, and professional services. His practice entails advising companies on a wide range of matters, including complex accounting and financial reporting, corporate governance, internal controls, business risk assessment and mitigation, and regulatory compliance as well as assisting legal counsel in the conduct of special investigations, purchase price disputes and other litigation support assignments. Prior to joining Kroll, he spent four years with Navigant Consulting and over 15 years with Arthur Andersen LLP, where he was a partner in the Audit and Business Advisory services practice.

Professional Experience

Special Investigations:

• Forensic Accounting and Corporate Investigations. David regularly works with companies and their legal counsel on complex investigations involving accounting and financial reporting irregularities, misappropriation of assets, circumvention of internal controls and other whistleblower allegations. His work has involved forensic analysis, evaluations of financial reporting and related securities disclosure matters, identification and quantification of misappropriated assets and reporting of findings and recommendations to legal counsel, senior management, boards of directors, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other regulators.
  
  
• Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).David has worked with legal counsel and lead teams to provide forensic accounting expertise on FCPA investigations. His engagements have included a multi-national FCPA investigation on behalf of a Fortune 500 based oil and gas company carried out over a three year period. He has also assisted clients with the development, review and monitoring of effective FCPA compliance programs.

Complex Accounting and Business Advisory:

• Accounting Restatements. David has advised senior management and audit committees on matters involving financial accounting and reporting including the interpretation and implementation of complex accounting principles. He has led engagements involving the restatement of prior year financial statements and has assisted senior management and audit committees in evaluating the impact of accounting and financial reporting errors and irregularities.
  
  
• Financial Due Diligence. David has significant experience working with financial and strategic buyers on merger and acquisition due diligence reviews, including advising management with respect to the unique business, accounting, financial reporting and regulatory risks.
  
  
• Purchase Price Disputes. David’s experience encompasses the analysis of accounting issues related to post-acquisition purchase price disputes and has assisted legal counsel in preparing for negotiations and arbitration related to such disputes.

Sarbanes-Oxley / Corporate Governance:

• Internal Controls.David assists clients with the design and evaluation of internal controls over financial reporting, including disclosure controls and procedures. He has worked closely with management of small and large Fortune 500 companies to build sustainable assessment processes to support their Sarbanes-Oxley, Section 302 and 404 conclusions on the effectiveness of the internal control environment.
  
  
• Business Risk Management / Internal Audit. David assists companies in establishing and improving their overall business risk management processes. His work has included the performance of enterprise-wide business risk assessments and the development of internal audit plans designed to address the company’s key risk areas. He has also led internal audit projects and reported audit findings and recommendations to senior management and audit committees.
  
  
• Other Compliance Reviews. David has advised general counsel and audit committees on corporate governance matters including the development and review of corporate ethics and regulatory compliance programs.

Education & Certification

• Towson University , B.S., Accounting
• Certified Public Accountant, licensed in Virginia and Maryland

Professional Affiliations

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants
• National Association of Corporate Directors
• American Bar Association Section of Public Contract Law, Associate Member

Publications

• Regularly assists the Government Contractors Guide Special Committee of the AICPA in connection with its annual update of the Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of Federal Government Contractors
• Co-author and publisher of "Financial Due Diligence for Contractors," Contract Management, May 2003