/EINPresswire.com/ -- EMERYVILLE, CA--(Marketwired - June 05, 2017) - Global strategic advisory and expert consulting firm Berkeley Research Group announced today that Lawrence Futa has joined the firm to lead its Tokyo office as a Director in BRG's Global Investigations + Strategic Intelligence practice. Futa was previously a career Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, where he was an Asia specialist and served as the head of the FBI offices in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

"As we continue to forge a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region, we are excited to have Lawrence join the firm," said BRG Chairman and Principal Executive Officer David J. Teece. "Lawrence brings a wealth of experience from his FBI career, having established an exceptional track record in conducting sensitive investigations throughout Asia. We are pleased to add his investigative expertise to our already stellar team."

"We are delighted to welcome Lawrence to our team. His broad and relevant experience in Asia will differentiate us from competitors in Japan," said Stuart Witchell, Asia-Pacific leader of BRG's Global Investigations + Strategic Intelligence practice. "Lawrence has years of experience handling the most sensitive investigations involving corruption, fraud, cybercrime, intellectual property rights and terrorism. His skillset is unparalleled."

"Japan is an important market for BRG, and we are pleased to have Lawrence lead our operations there," said Allen D. Applbaum, the global leader of BRG's Global Investigations + Strategic Intelligence practice. "His experience in conducting complex investigations across multiple jurisdictions will provide our Japanese and global clients and their advisors a valuable resource for responding to cross-border challenges throughout Asia."

Futa will be responsible for conducting corporate investigations regarding due diligence, internal malfeasance, whistleblower complaints, potential corruption, fraud and money laundering, focusing on supporting Japanese firms throughout the Asia-Pacific region and in Japan.

Futa spent over 24 years with the FBI as a Special Agent. He was appointed by the FBI director to serve as the FBI representative in Tokyo and later Hong Kong. He was responsible for FBI investigations in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and he worked closely with regional law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Futa was awarded a medal of Investigative Excellence by the FBI and a commendation from the US intelligence community for his work overseas. He was the first supervisor of the FBI's Cyber Squad in Honolulu and was recognized by the FBI and the US Attorney's Office for his leadership in protecting national cyber infrastructure, as well as targeting cyber fraud threats. He headed an Organized Crime Squad in San Francisco that utilized sophisticated human source and undercover operations to bring down Asian and Eurasian organized crime groups. Futa also served as a consultant to the FBI on asset forfeiture matters and previously worked for a global financial institution and a global accounting and consulting firm.

Futa earned a bachelor of science in accounting from the University of Wyoming and a post-graduate certificate in enterprise risk management from the University of Hong Kong, and studied Japanese at the Defense Language Institute.

About Berkeley Research Group, LLC

Berkeley Research Group, LLC (www.thinkbrg.com) is a leading global strategic advisory and expert consulting firm that provides independent advice, data analytics, authoritative studies, expert testimony, investigations, and regulatory and dispute consulting to Fortune 500 corporations, financial institutions, government agencies, major law firms and regulatory bodies around the world. BRG experts and consultants combine intellectual rigor with practical, real-world experience and an in-depth understanding of industries and markets. Their expertise spans economics and finance, data analytics and statistics, and public policy in many of the major sectors of our economy, including healthcare, banking, information technology, energy, construction and real estate. BRG is headquartered in Emeryville, California, with offices across the United States and in Asia, Australia, Canada, Latin America, the Middle East and the United Kingdom.