Derek Patterson is a Principal at FRA’s London office and head of its Nordic business. He has in-depth experience in structuring and delivering forensic accounting and electronic data services across multi-jurisdiction investigations, assessing and testing compliance programs, and in supporting complex dispute resolutions.
He has led a variety of complex fraud and litigation, financial crime and bribery investigations, in multiple jurisdictions. Derek supported Telia Company’s response to bribery allegations arising from its Uzbekistan business, and with disgorgement and pecuniary gain analysis in its US$965 million FCPA settlement with the DOJ, the SEC and the Netherlands. He also supported a major Nordic bank response to allegations of money laundering. Prior to that, Derek led the FRA team assisting Alstom’s response to bribery allegations leading to regulatory settlement in Switzerland, and supported investigations in the US and the UK. In addition, Derek has conducted a wide variety of compliance program assessments, internal audit reviews, controls testing, and related third-party distributor and agent reviews. Derek also jointly led FRA’s compliance program testing of a global corporation as part of the independent compliance monitor team appointed under a DPA.
Derek has actively supported a variety of arbitration and litigation cases including providing witness of fact evidence in a group of Austrian shareholder litigation claims arising from a complex securities and real-estate fraud totalling over €2 billion. He has provided expert advice to clients conducting ICC and ICSID arbitrations, and in London to clients conducting Commercial Court litigation including advice on complex data-lead quantum analyses. He also served as Managing Director of the UK’s first litigation funding provider, IM Litigation Funding, managing funding across a portfolio of litigation cases in the UK and the US, and assessing the merits of quantum and costs.
Prior to joining FRA, Derek was the group treasurer for easyJet plc, a senior member of the MBO team, which bought and sold the low-cost airline “go fly” at British Airways plc, and worked in Ford Motor Co in financial control and internal audit roles. Derek completed his training as an accountant and auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers and holds a bachelor of accountancy degree from the University of Glasgow.
Derek Patterson is highly thought of by sources for his “strong forensic accounting skills” and praised for his “quick grasp of a business’s issues” in compliance programme testing.
Who’s Who Legal Global Elite Thought Leaders 2020 and 2021.
Who’s Who Legal Investigations: Forensic Accountants 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Who’s Who Legal Thought Leaders 2019.
Who’s Who Legal Consulting Experts: Forensic Accountants 2019.