Spear’s Review

Richard Abbey leads EY’s forensic and integrity services practice in the UK and Ireland, undertaking complex financial investigations across a wide variety of sectors. 

Abbey’s particular focus is helping HNW individuals investigate and manage potential reputational threats. It may be that a client has lost money in a transaction, or they might be embroiled in a lawsuit and are looking to reconcile their assets. Uncovering the facts is the key to solving these issues. ‘That’s what my role is,’ Abbey explains. ‘Determining what facts we need to know, and how we can collate them, organise them and present them in the best way, depending on the strategy you want to follow.’

He also helps clients provide transparency around the sources of their wealth, a step increasingly necessary as HNWs come under scrutiny from banks, investors and other institutions. Here clients benefit from EY’s vast network of experts and Abbey’s 25 years of experience, meaning they can rest assured that the EY team will take a thorough approach. ‘We know what we would be looking for on the other side,’ he says.