ASSOCIATE - FORENSIC & INVESTIGATIONS (3 to 5 Years PQE)

About the Role

Metalegal Advocates is seeking an experienced, analytically driven, and professionally accomplished Chartered Accountant to join its Forensic & Investigations Practice .

This role is designed for professionals with experience in financial investigations, forensic accounting, forensic audit, regulatory reviews, dispute support, financial due diligence, and white-collar matters. The successful candidate will work on complex matters involving financial irregularities, fraud reviews, regulatory proceedings, litigation support, transaction analysis, fund flow reviews, and investigation assignments across diverse industries.

The role offers significant exposure to high-value investigations handled by the Firm involving financial misconduct, corporate disputes, regulatory enforcement, and economic offences, while working closely with senior professionals and multidisciplinary legal teams.

Scope of Work

The Associate shall be involved in assignments relating to, inter alia:

• Financial investigations and forensic accounting reviews.
• Forensic audit and fraud risk assessments.
• Regulatory investigations and enforcement support.
• White-collar crime and economic offence matters.
• Financial due diligence and compliance reviews.
• Fund flow analysis and transaction tracing.
• Asset tracing and financial reconstruction.
• Dispute support, litigation support, and expert financial analysis.
• Investigation documentation and evidence management.
• Financial analysis relating to proceedings before regulatory and judicial authorities.

Key Responsibilities

The Associate shall, inter alia:

• Independently analyse financial statements, general ledgers, bank statements, accounting records, books of account, vouchers, supporting documentation, and complex financial transactions.
• Conduct forensic accounting reviews, financial investigations, transaction testing, fund flow analysis, asset tracing, reconciliation exercises, and financial data analysis.
• Identify unusual financial patterns, suspicious transactions, accounting irregularities, control deficiencies, and indicators of financial misconduct or fraud.
• Prepare structured working papers, investigation documentation, analytical memoranda, financial schedules, evidence matrices, and investigation reports.
• Assist in matters involving regulatory authorities, investigation agencies, dispute resolution, arbitration, and litigation support.
• Review documentary evidence, financial records, statutory filings, accounting data, and regulatory disclosures.
• Support investigations involving alleged fraud, diversion of funds, misappropriation, financial irregularities, accounting manipulation, related-party transactions, and other financial misconduct.
• Coordinate with clients, financial institutions, statutory auditors, forensic specialists, legal teams, and other stakeholders for collection and analysis of information.
• Conduct research on accounting standards, financial reporting requirements, regulatory frameworks, forensic methodologies, and investigation practices.
• Maintain high standards of professional judgement, confidentiality, documentation quality, and analytical accuracy throughout all assignments.

Requirements

Essential Qualifications

Applicants must satisfy all of the following requirements:

• Qualified Chartered Accountant (Mandatory).
• Strong and consistent academic record throughout school, graduation, and professional education.
• 3–5 years of relevant post-qualification experience in forensic accounting, financial investigations, forensic audit, regulatory investigations, financial due diligence, dispute support, risk advisory, or other similar assignments involving financial investigations, regulatory reviews, or forensic analysis.

Preferred Experience

Preference will be given to candidates having experience in one or more of the following:

• White-collar crime investigations.
• Fraud investigations.
• Financial misconduct reviews.
• Regulatory investigations.
• Fund flow analysis.
• Asset tracing.
• Forensic accounting.
• Financial statement analysis.
• Investigation support involving proceedings before regulatory or enforcement authorities.
• Professional services firms, forensic consulting practices, investigation teams, risk advisory practices, or multidisciplinary professional firms.

Mandatory Requirements

• Qualified Chartered Accountant (CA) – Mandatory.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant post-qualification experience.
• Strong academic credentials.
• Excellent analytical and financial investigation skills.
• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and financial analysis.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong analytical and financial reasoning capabilities.
• Excellent accounting and financial investigation skills.
• High standards of professional ethics, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Exceptional attention to detail and documentation discipline.
• Strong report writing and communication skills.
• Ability to independently manage assignments and work under tight timelines.
• Professional judgment while handling sensitive financial and regulatory matters.
• Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary legal and forensic teams.

Benefits

Remuneration

Competitive remuneration shall be offered commensurate with qualifications, relevant experience, professional merit, and overall suitability for the role.

The responsibilities described above are illustrative in nature and are intended to indicate the broad scope of the role. They are not exhaustive and may be modified, expanded, or supplemented from time to time based on the Firm's business requirements, client engagements, operational needs, and the Associate's experience, capability, and professional development.