HKA has committed to driving change and advocating fair representation for women working as, or aspiring to become, expert witnesses.

By taking the Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses Pledge (ERE), the firm joins a global coalition who are in support of addressing the challenges faced by women as expert witnesses, with the collective aim of increasing the number of women appointed as expert witnesses in dispute resolution procedures worldwide.

The ERE Pledge encourages action and advocacy to:

• increase, on an equal opportunity basis, the number of women appearing as experts in order to achieve proportional representation and, eventually, full parity;

• support hiring, mentoring, and promoting women experts;

• create a coalition of supporters and advocates in the world of dispute resolution;

• encourage women to aspire to be expert witnesses in their chosen professions;

• give women who are, or aspire to be, expert witnesses, better opportunities to achieve their goals; and

• widen the pool of expert witnesses available and enhance the reputation of expert witnesses.

​​​​​​​”We are proud that HKA is an early signatory of the ERE Pledge as it demonstrates our ongoing commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion actions. Equality for everyone, diversity valued, inclusion always​​​​​​​.”

Chris Bernard, Partner, Global People Recruitment, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The ERE Pledge was created in 2021 as the sister pledge to the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge (ERA) which has seen success in its endeavour to increase the proportion of women appointed as arbitrators, since its foundation in 2015.

HKA’s Roula Harfouche, Partner, Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages, sits on the ERE’s Global Steering Committee:

“The ERE Pledge is a great initiative. I trust that it will be as successful as the ERA Pledge, and I look forward to contributing to ERE’s success as part of its Steering Committee.”

Roula Harfouche, Partner, Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages

Individual professionals are also eligible to take the pledge in their own name, with the ERE already attracting numerous individual signatories from HKA who are keen to make a positive impact.

About HKA

HKA is the world’s leading consultancy of choice for multi-disciplinary expert and specialist services in risk mitigation and dispute resolution within the capital projects and infrastructure sector.

We also have particular experience advising clients on the economic impact of commercial and investment treaty disputes and in forensic accounting matters. In addition, HKA supports companies that conduct business with the US Federal Government, providing them with consulting services on complex government contracting matters.

As trusted independent consultants, experts and advisors, we deliver solutions amid uncertainty, dispute and overrun, and provide the insights that make the best possible outcomes a reality for public and private sector clients worldwide.

HKA has in excess of 1,000 consultants, experts and advisors in more than 40 offices across 18 countries.

For more information about HKA, visit www.hka.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter (@HKAGlobal) and Facebook.

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