With 30 years of forensic accounting and auditing experience, Ms. Palen has led numerous high-profile investigations involving financial statement fraud, misrepresentations, disclosure issues, offering fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement. She is recognized for her ability to analyze large and complex datasets to trace funds and present compelling financial narratives in litigation and enforcement contexts. Ms. Palen has testified in multiple matters and served as a critical witness in successful trials.

Throughout her career, Ms. Palen has played a leading role in identifying and documenting complex financial frauds involving hundreds of accounts and entities, frequently coordinating with parallel criminal investigations. She has provided investigative and litigation support to law enforcement agencies, regulators, and law firms across a wide range of industries, including financial services, technology, pharmaceutical, and real estate.

Prior to joining A&M, Ms. Palen spent over 14 years with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Division of Enforcement in New York, most recently serving as Assistant Regional Director. In this role, she supervised forensic accounting investigations, led multidisciplinary teams, developed internal training programs, and was recognized as an agency expert on fiat and digital asset tracing. Earlier in her career, she held senior roles in the Forensic practices at Deloitte, A&M, and Marcum.

Ms. Palen earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida Atlantic University. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. She has received several awards for her investigative work, including the SEC’s Stanley Sporkin Award, one of the top awards granted to SEC enforcement officials.