Meeting/Event Information

WHO & WHEN:

MORNING SESSION: 10:00 to 11:45
Mark P. Ruppert of Cedars-Sinai Health System
"Fraud Risk Assessment: Think like a Demon and add IA Value"

LUNCH SESSION: 12:00 to 1:30
Kathy Bazoian Phelps of Diamond McCarthy (www.diamondmccarthy.com/our_people/kathy-bazoian-phelps): "The DNA of a Ponzi Scheme." This program will discuss the characteristics of a Ponzi scheme and the Ponzi schemer.

AFTERNOON SESSIONS #1 & #2: 1:45 to 3:45
Mark Mermelstein of Orrick (www.orrick.com/lawyers/mark-mermelstein/Pages/default.aspx) and Olivia Robinson of Background Intelligence (backgroundintelligence.com) will co-present for two 50-minute sessions:
"Strategic Remedies for Fraud Victims: Early Warning Signs and Resources"
If your corporation has ever been a victim of fraud, you'll know how difficult it is to determine what steps to take to try to recover your losses.

AFTERNOON SESSION #3: 4:00 to 5:00
David Wall of SingerLewak (www.singerlewak.com/index.php/david-wall): Case Study: "People v. Rude. A Description of Forensic Accounting Analysis in Criminal Prosecution." This presentation gives the audience an inside view into the white-collar criminal investigation and prosecution of Ryan Rude, a would-be real estate promoter who ran a $5-million Ponzi scheme in the Inland Empire from 2007 to 2009.

LUNCHEON OPTIONS:
When you register, please write your choice of Salmon, Chicken, or Vegan in the "Comments" box.

BIOS:

Mark P. Ruppert, CPA, CIA, CISA, CHFP, CHC

Mark is the Director of Internal Audit (CAE) for the Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles.  He has more than 30 years of internal audit experience, the past 18 in healthcare. His service to the profession includes:

• Internal audit quality assurance review team member, mostly through the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).
• AHIA Publications Committee Chair.
• AHIA Editorial Committee Member and internal audit quality columnist in New Perspectives.
• Past AHIA Chairman and Board Member.
• Recipient of the AHIA Immediate Past-Chair Award and AHIA Founders Award.
• Past Healthcare Compliance Association (HCCA) Board and Audit Committee Member.

He has been speaking nationally since 2000 and has been published in Compliance Today and New Perspectives on various audit and compliance topics.   He is a CPA, CIA, CISA, CHFP, CHC and ACB. 

 Kathy Bazoian Phelps
Diamond McCarthy LLP
1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 651-2997
[email protected]
www.theponzibook.com
www.ponzi-proof.com
www.theponzischemeblog.com

Kathy Bazoian Phelps is a partner at the law firm of Diamond McCarthy LLP in Los Angeles California. She has been practicing law in the areas of bankruptcy and fraud litigation since 1991. Kathy has developed a specialty in fraud litigation, representing bankruptcy trustees, receivers, defendants and investors, and has been lead counsel in large-scale litigation involving the recovery of assets in Ponzi scheme cases. She frequently represents defrauded victims, as well as operating and liquidating trustees and receivers in the United States District Court, the United States Bankruptcy Court, and the Superior Court of the State of California. She also has extensive litigation experience in a variety of bankruptcy litigation matters.

Kathy has lectured widely and written on bankruptcy and receivership matters, with a focus on Ponzi schemes. Her book entitled The Ponzi Book: A Legal Resource for Unraveling Ponzi Schemes (www.theponzibook.com), co-authored with Hon. Steven Rhodes, has garnered national and international attention as the authoritative work on Ponzi scheme law. Kathy is also the author of Ponzi-Proof Your Investments: An Investor's Guide to Avoiding Ponzi Schemes and Other Fraudulent Scams (www.ponzi-proof.com). This book is the go-to resource that tells investors in plain language how to best increase their odds of avoiding investing in a fraudulent scheme. This book assists investors in educating themselves on the fraudster's tricks and on the investigations they should undertake before investing.

Kathy also maintains an active and popular blog at www.theponzischemeblog.com at which she posts blogs on newsworthy and legal issues relating to Ponzi schemes. The Ponzi Scheme Blog tracks Ponzi schemes in the U.S. and across the globe in addition to keeping readers up to date on new legal developments in these types of cases.

Kathy is a frequent speaker at both national and international events. She speaks to audiences of professionals including lawyers, accountants, and fraud examiners, and also speaks to brokers, financial advisors, and investors. Kathy is frequently called upon to provide quotes and insights in Ponzi scheme and fraud cases for print publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, and the New York Times. The author is a called-upon resource for radio shows as well.

In addition to her roles as lawyer, speaker, and author, Kathy also serves as a mediator and currently serves on the Bankruptcy Mediation Panel for the Central District of California.

Mark Mermelstein, a partner in the Los Angeles office, is a member of the White Collar and Corporate Investigations group. He also co-chairs Orrick's Privacy, Data Security and Internet Safety Group.

Mr. Mermelstein is a trial lawyer with more than 20 first-chair trials. He splits his time between white collar criminal defense and asset recovery for victims of corporate crimes. On the criminal defense side, he represents corporations and individuals facing allegations of securities fraud, healthcare fraud, antitrust violations, environmental crimes, money laundering, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the False Claims Act, mail/wire fraud, and embezzlement. Representing corporate crime victims, he focuses on cybercrime including data breach (including customer regulatory notice obligations), IP/trade secrets theft, hacking and counterfeiting.

With his substantial trial experience, Mr. Mermelstein knows how to devise winning strategies for trial and has the judgment to know when it is best to find an alternative solution.

He has written many articles and spoken extensively on many aspects of his practice. A frequent commentator on matters related to white collar crime, he was honored by the Southern California Super Lawyers Magazine as a Southern California Rising Star each year from 2004 through 2012.

Olivia G. Robinson
Private Investigator, #25346
[email protected]
www.backgroundintelligence.com
(213) 243-0707

Olivia Robinson investigates fraud and white collar crime. She has conducted critical, time-sensitive investigations since 1982. Ms. Robinson heads up a licensed private investigative agency comprised of a multidisciplinary team of investigators who are uniquely able to provide actionable results, using a combination of investigative techniques.

She has helped clients discover and recover from cases involving Ponzi schemes, complex financial fraud, insider trading, industry-wide fraud scams, global cybercrime, municipal fraud, identity theft, hedge fund and investment scams.

She has held positions on the boards of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Association for Corporate Growth, and the Association of Strategic Planning. She is an active member of the California Receivers Forum, California Association of Licensed Investigators, Women's White Collar Crime Defense Association, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, and other professional organizations.

David Wall, CPA, JD, CFE

David Wall has been employed in the field of financial investigations in Southern California for over 20 years. Mr. Wall is a fraud specialist, with credentials as a certified public accountant, certified fraud examiner, and licensed attorney.

Mr. Wall is a director in the forensics practice of SingerLewak LLP, a 50-year-old accounting firm headquartered in Los Angeles, with six offices throughout California.

Mr. Wall represents clients in relation to white-collar crime in the state and federal criminal courts, as well as claimants in civil court litigation involving fraud, embezzlement, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent transfer, and similar claims.

His specialties include the acquisition, reconstruction, and analysis of financial records, and the presentation of observations and opinions to judges and juries.

 
WHEN:
Wednesday, November 12, 2014 ~ 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Networking cocktail reception for attendees to follow program from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM

WHERE:
Los Angeles Athletic Club, 431 West Seventh Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014
http://www.laac.com/