HKA adds senior experts Jack Westphal and Patrick McLane
HKA, a risk and disputes consulting firm, has hired Jack Westphal as a partner in its construction, claims, and expert services practice in Seattle and Patrick McLane as a principal in its intellectual property (IP) practice in Houston.
Jack Westphal brings nearly 20 years of experience in forensic accounting, dispute advisory, and investigative services for capital projects and commercial disputes. He has advised on matters including construction claims, project cost audits, lost profits analyses, fraud investigations, and expert testimony.
Westphal has testified in state and federal courts and served as an expert in international arbitrations regarding construction, government, and environmental matters.
“Jack’s deep experience in forensic accounting and construction dispute resolution strengthens our ability to support clients through highly complex projects and financial challenges. His technical expertise, industry breadth, and credibility as an expert will be significant assets to both our teams and our clients,” said Ed Federico, partner and construction, claims, and expert services lead at HKA.
Westphal joins from FTI Consulting, where he has been since 2007. He most recently served as a managing director within the forensic and litigation consulting practice.
Westphal holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Washington and is a certified public accountant.
Patrick McLane brings more than three decades of experience in IP valuation, damages analysis, and commercial dispute consulting. He has valued a wide range of technologies, including semiconductor designs and computer hardware to pharmaceutical innovations, drilling technologies, and artificial intelligence software.
McLane has served as an expert witness on a variety of complex IP and economic damages matters, and has worked across litigation concerning reasonable royalty, lost profits, and price erosion analyses in the technology, pharmaceutical, energy, and consumer goods industries.
“Patrick’s exceptional track record and decades of experience in IP valuation and economic damages bring a tremendous advantage to our clients as they face increasingly complex commercial disputes. His ability to distill intricate financial, technological, and licensing issues into clear, defensible opinions aligns perfectly with HKA’s commitment to our clients,” said Ryan LaMotta, partner at HKA.
McLane previously spent eight years with Charles River Associates, where he was a principal, and 11 years with Kroll, where he was a senior director. Earlier in his career, he was a managing director at OverMont Consulting and InterCap Inc.
McLane began his consulting career with Peterson Consulting and PwC.
He has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Baylor University and is a certified management accountant and certified fraud examiner.
HKA recently welcomed Jorge Berrios as a principal and LoLo Adigwe as a director.
