Patrick Kelkar

Deputy CEO

Patrick has more than twenty-five years of experience in conducting investigations around the world, having worked in the Big Four, international organisations, high-profile public inquiries and as a senior leader at boutique investigative firms.

Patrick has managed and conducted due diligence, litigation-support, asset tracing, fraud, corruption and misconduct investigations on behalf of counsel, international organisations, governments, investors and corporate clients. He has led matters in more than a hundred countries and conducted investigative work on the ground in approximately two dozen countries, including in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Previously, Patrick conducted international investigations on behalf of the World Bank Group and the Independent Inquiry Committee (“Volcker Committee”) into the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme in Iraq. Patrick was a Senior Investigator for the Volcker Committee and played a key role in the high-profile investigation into allegations of corruption against the Executive Director of the U.N. program.

Patrick has been recognized by Chambers and Partners for the past five years and ranked Band 1 for business intelligence and investigations professionals in the U.S. from 2021 to 2024 in their Litigation Support Guide. Chambers wrote: Kelkar is vastly experienced in misconduct, fraud and corruption investigations, as well as being highly competent in bespoke intelligence gathering for the purposes of litigation. One client stated: “Patrick Kelkar is my go-to person. He has decades of experience, has seen every difficult situation play out and is a steady hand in times of crisis. His sophistication and accessibility make him a partner rather than a service provider.”

Project Highlights

  • Patrick was twice engaged by a global humanitarian NGO with operations in more than 40 countries and 10,000 employees, to help establish and manage their internal investigative unit. He oversaw more than 200 investigations of fraud, corruption and misconduct, supervising investigative teams operating around the world, including in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and the U.S. Patrick led investigative missions in the Middle East, conducting dozens of interviews of staff, third-party witnesses and subjects of investigation. In many cases, this work included reviews of documents and interviews at remote locations in insecure environments. The work also included numerous email and other computer forensic reviews. Patrick often reported to the President and CEO of the NGO, other senior management and the audit committee of the board on significant investigations.
  • On behalf of the Utah House of Representatives’ Special Investigative Committee examining allegations against the Utah Attorney General, Patrick ran much of the day-to-day investigation by the team on the ground in Utah over the course of three and a half months and conducted dozens of interviews of members of the Utah Attorney General’s office and third party-witnesses, working closely with the local FBI field office and outside counsel. He drafted key sections of a report that was released to the public and presented in testimony in front of the Utah House committee on live TV. The Attorney General resigned during the investigation.
  • For a Fortune 100 company, Patrick led an investigation of misconduct allegations against the executive director of a joint venture with the government of a West African country. This included dozens of interviews in the country together with the Inspector General of the Ministry of Mines, as well as additional interviews in Europe. Patrick later presented the findings of the investigation to the board of the joint venture company.
  • Working with global arbitration counsel, Patrick has led investigative efforts in Latin America and Eastern Europe, including intelligence and evidence gathering and witness development, to support counsel in multibillion dollar arbitration claims.
  • In the context of the Operation Car Wash (“Lava Jato”) corruption scandal in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America, and on behalf of several large investment firms, banks, institutional investors and multinational companies, Patrick led multiple due diligence reviews ahead of potential asset purchases and acquisitions in Brazil, as well as providing investigative support to internal inquiries of alleged wrongdoing.
  • For a variety of multinational companies and international organisations, Patrick has led or assisted investigations of fraud, corruption and misconduct, including conducting interviews, as well as document and email reviews.
  • Patrick has also led hundreds of due diligence reviews in sensitive matters related to M&A transactions, joint ventures, agent relationships, and potential sanctions exposure around the globe.
  • Languages

    English

  • Capabilities
    • Integrity due-diligence
    • Disputes & Investigations
    • Asset tracing
    • Infrastructure
    • Energy
    • Transportation
    • AML 
    • Law firms
  • Awards and Professional affiliations
    • Chambers & Partners 2023: Litigation Support – Business Intelligence & Investigations, Band 1 (2021-2023)
    • American Bar Association

Get to know Patrick Kelkar

My area of expertise

I have more than 25 years of experience in conducting investigations around the world, having worked in the Big Four, international organisations, high-profile public inquiries and as a senior leader at boutique investigative firms.  I specialize in investigating complex transnational fraud and corruption cases, as well as in fact-gathering investigations for litigators and their clients.

Why I love what I do

I’ve had the opportunity to work all over the globe on diverse issues and projects, having led matters in more than one hundred countries and conducted investigative work myself on the ground in approximately two dozen countries, including in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

What sets Risk Advisory apart

The intense focus on the quality and rigour of our work product.

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