Issue 7 2020

Acquisition International - Issue 7 2020 75 Sep19476 The world of digital forensics has become increasingly vital in the last few years, with more and more people coming to value the uses it can have in the legal system. Vijay Rathour leads the Digital Forensics Group at Grant Thornton UK LLP and was named Digital Forensics Expert of the Year – London in 2019. We look a little more closely at Vijay, his career and the company at large to discover more. ijay Rathour has gone through many stages of his career already. Starting as a barrister, then becoming a solicitor, he enjoyed over ten years working across a range of legal fields such as Corporate and Transactional work, Personal Injury and Negligence, and Corporate Litigation. Leaving the world of private practice, Mr. Rathour joined the Financial Services Authority (FSA) as a lawyer in the retail and enforcement teams, where he investigated misconduct by regulated banks and individuals. The most recent step in a career of change has been stepping into the world of digital forensics. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Rathour has been able to adapt his considerable set of skills for an entirely new challenge. The work of a digital forensics expert is not easily defined. It involves exploring new areas of law and crime, and working out the best ways to trace criminals in a whole new world. Mr. Rathour’s own specialisms are in cybercrime, cyber-security, incident response and data breaches and his expertise has meant that he has been able to manage some of the UK’s most high-profile Digital Forensic investigations. Much of this work involves coordinating a response, balancing a legal perspective with new and sophisticated technologies. Much of his work is based on working out new and innovative solutions. He has adapted his style of working to get the best from his team, continually investing in technology and team members to ensure that clients are always able to get the quality of work they expect. Mr. Rathour’s challenging work is supported strongly by the Grant Thornton organisation, and the work that he spearheads is central to much of the company’s work in many different areas. As cybercrime becomes more complex, the sophisticated solutions that Mr. Rathour and his team have developed will allow for efficient and effective investigations to take place. The team that has been assembled is truly at the cutting edge, and intends to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Of the many projects that Mr. Rathour has been privileged to work on, it is projects like managing the Hillsborough Inquest document platform – this was undertaken pro bono – that have made a difference to his way of thinking. Here, Mr Rathour responded to multiple regulatory enquiries related to LIBOR manipulation, as well as conducting and consulting on multiple insider dealing and systems and control failings investigations. Similarly, he has been lucky enough to share V Blending Legal Perspective with Sophisticated Technologies Company: Grant Thornton UK LLP Contact: Vijay Rathour Web Address: www.grantthornton.co.uk his expertise in the field of Electronic Data and Disclosure when the Courts of England and Wales invited him to assist with redrafting the Civil Procedure Rules. Such experience has allowed Mr Rathour not only the opportunity to share his knowledge not only in a professional context, but with the public at large. He is a regular public speaker and encourages active and animated discussions on the risks and opportunities that technology presents. While much of his work revolves around the problems caused by the new world that is just arriving, Mr Rathour is a self-confessed technology enthusiast, seeing the potential of the digital age as something that we have only just begun to tap. In many ways, this enthusiasm for the new is one of the many factors that has allowed Mr Rathour to achieve such success. For him it is more than a job, it is a passion. The team at Grant Thornton have proven equally passionate in allowing him to demonstrate exactly what can be achieved in the right hands. It’s a partnership that works wonders, and has brought about some impressive achievements for both.