Kristofer Swanson

Under his leadership, the Practice – including its state-of-the art digital forensics, eDiscovery and cyber incident response lab – has been certified under International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001:2022 requirements as part of its industry-leading commitment to its clients and their information security. The Practice was recognized by the National Law Journal for being one of the top three Forensic Accounting Providers in America, and by Global Investigations Review as one of the leading investigative consultancies from around the world for handling sophisticated cross-border, government-driven and internal investigations. Chambers also recognized it with rankings in recognition of its deep litigation support, crisis and risk management competencies.

Kris is particularly sought after to lead complex investigations — requiring deep industry knowledge, multiple technical competencies, thorny jurisdictional and ethical issues, and challenging reporting and disclosure obligations – and he has testified on both economic damages and liability. From a geographic perspective, his assignments have extended to Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, North America and South America. He regularly serves as a monitor under various settlement and deferred prosecution agreements.

Counsel and parties have noted that he is “a leader in his field – very knowledgeable, well-respected, credible and with impeccable integrity.”  “Kris is a tremendous intellect, exceptionally personable and easy to work with.”  He is “a terrific practitioner” and “the top-notch expert I’ve worked with for forensic accounting and internal investigations.” “There are issue-spotters and there are creative problem solvers — Kristofer Swanson does his clients a service by being the latter.”  “Kris possesses extraordinary good judgement.  He is able to look around the corner and anticipate issues and obviate them.” “Unlike some other experts with whom I have worked, Kris sees himself as a fully-invested and energetic teammate, seeking ways – including creative ways – to bring value to clients.”

Kris serves on the Board of Trustees of the Securities and Exchange Commission Historical Society; on the Civic Leadership Committee of the Better Government Association; on the Planning Committee and Faculty of the ABA’s National Institute on White Collar Crime; on the Planning Committee for Northwestern University’s Ray Garrett Jr. Corporate and Securities Law Institute; on the Board of Big Shoulders Fund; on the Board of Trustees of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry; and as a Member of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Cyber Task Force. He is past chair of the Membership Commission of The Chicago Club, and of Membership Committee V of the Economic Club of Chicago. Recent board service has included the Legal Aid Society of Chicago; the Public Interest Law Initiative; Lawyers for the Creative Arts; and Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart. He is a frequent speaker and author on forensic matters, and he has guest lectured at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and at various law schools and conferences.

Kris is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner, a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, and is certified in Financial Forensics. He is a member of the International Association of Independent Corporate Monitors, the National Association of Federal Equity Receivers, and the Private Directors Association. He earned his MBA in International Business and Economics, with Honors, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business; his Master of Science in Accountancy, with distinction, from DePaul University; and his Bachelor of Arts from Lawrence University.

Kris previously served as the head of PwC’s Forensics practice in the Midwest, where he led forensic assignments and conducted “shadow investigations” for audit clients. In this capacity, he led PwC’s Midwest Forensics practice to the highest utilization of any of PwC’s forensic offices in America, and similarly raised its Global People Survey engagement scores to the highest of any forensic office in America. Prior to that, he served as the National Solution Leader for Forensic Investigations at Navigant Consulting (n/k/a Ankura), while also founding its privacy and cyber incident response practice.

Who’s Who Legal 
Global Leader
Thought Leader
Expert – Investigations Forensic Accountant
Expert – Digital Forensic Investigations

Jus Mundi
Member, 2023 Arbitration Team of the Year

Lexology Client Choice Award Winner
Investigations Forensic Accountant