Cindy has close to 20 years of experience in forensic accounting, fraud investigations, internal audit, and complex business litigation. Specifically, she focuses on internal investigations, fraud prevention, anti-corruption compliance assessments and litigation consulting.
She has provided litigation consulting in purchase price disputes, bankruptcy matters, and in a large variety of civil securities cases such as class actions, derivative actions, and enforcement proceedings initiated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange (“SEC”) and other regulators.
Working with private and public companies across various industries, she has led and conducted investigations on a broad range of matters, including violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), revenue recognition, reserve manipulation, accounting for stock options, the misapplication of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), as well as other financial statement misstatements. She has also led and participated in various engagements involving intellectual property damages, financial due diligence and regulatory compliance.
Cindy’s expertise extends across numerous industries, including consumer products, financial services (broker dealers and banks), real estate, accounting, aviation, automotive, pharmaceutical, technology, telecommunication, leasing, energy, entertainment, retail, food and agricultural products, non-profit, construction and manufacturing.
SELECT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
· Part of an independent monitor team appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) to oversee compliance of settlements agreements by a global vehicle safety device manufacturer. The manufacturer had pled guilty to the falsification of test data that led to 20 deaths and over 80 million automobile recalls. Led interviews of lab personnel and site visits in China, Indonesia, and other Asian countries to understand lab testing processes. Provided process improvement and internal control recommendations to ensure test data integrity.
· Led an internal investigation for the board of directors of a U.S.-owned, $140 million market cap online travel subsidiary in China. The engagement involved interviewing key personnel, gathering evidence of FCPA violations and determining the impact of improper payments.
· Retained by an international bank to investigate $56 million dollars of fraudulent transactions between a construction company and its related parties in China.
· Retained by a major domestic airline to evaluate its existing anti-corruption program. Made recommendations concerning the policies and design of the compliance program.
· Trained and directed team members in performing complex financial analyses of bidding activities on a financial institution’s securities auction platform in connection with an internal investigation.
· Assisted counsel defending auditors in a case involving alleged professional negligence in audits of an online non-profit charity management company. Case involved analysis of auditor’s reports and work papers, as well as preparation of witnesses for depositions.
PUBLICATIONS
- China’s Updated Anti-Corruption Regulations, Corporate Counsel (May 2019)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS / OTHER
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
- Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF)
- Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
- Member, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
- Fluent in Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese)