Connor Hafer, Delay

School: Georgia Tech
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Office Location: Atlanta, United States

What was the most rewarding thing about working with your practice group this summer?
It was so rewarding to see my work product impact and add value to the cases I worked on. Being an intern, you would typically think that the work you’re doing is minuscule; but here at Secretariat, your contributions are encouraged and valued. The documents that we as interns review and discuss are the very documents that support the experts’ claims.

Tell us about any new skills or knowledge you gained or improved through this internship.
My internship at Secretariat helped me greatly improve my presenting and public speaking skills. One of the largest parts of this job is being able to present your work, whether to a client or your superiors. I got the chance to present almost weekly (sometimes daily). I also received great advice, feedback, and support from my coworkers and superiors. Through this practice, I became more confident in both my work product and presenting skills.

How did your team support you throughout your internship?
Throughout the internship, it always felt like I had someone supporting me and pushing me to be a better professional. Whether it was something as small as helping with pivot tables or taking the time to walk me through project notes, the team always treated me like family, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with. A prime example of this: even as just an intern, they let me join the company band, Tremendous Machine, and I get to perform in Law Rocks with them this September in Atlanta!

“Being an intern, you would typically think that the work you’re doing is minuscule; but here at Secretariat, your contributions are encouraged and valued.”

Brayden Furr, Defect

School: Texas A&M University
Major: Architectural Engineering
Office Location: Houston, United States

What was the most rewarding thing about working with your practice group this summer?
I am so thankful for the vast knowledge I’ve gained while working within the Defect practice group. Throughout my internship, I was able to work on real-world projects, understand what the defect was, and find out the cause and impacts of it.

How has this internship helped you grow professionally and personally?
This internship has helped me communicate better and effectively collaborate with others, both personally and professionally. It was very valuable to see how successful professionals in the industry present themselves and communicate, and then follow suit.

What did you enjoy most about the projects you worked on?
There was great variety– no two projects were the same, and I always had a new task or scene to learn about. The variety of projects allowed me to learn so much about defects and systems as well as different aspects of litigation consulting.

“I was able to work on real-world projects, understand what the defect was, and find out the cause and impacts of it.”

Hannah Ganeriwal, Operations

School: University of Georgia
Major: Management Information Systems
Office Location: Atlanta, United States

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned this summer?
Edited for Web: The greatest lesson I learned this summer was the value of taking feedback and making adjustments. While I often received positive comments on my work, I found constructive feedback and advice to be the most beneficial. Receiving this honest feedback in a kind, productive way helped me refine my work, but also provided valuable insights into how I can continue to grow and improve moving forward.

How would you describe Secretariat’s company culture?
Secretariat’s company culture is incredibly welcoming and warm. From the moment I joined, the genuine friendliness I experienced company-wide made me feel like a valued part of the team. From catered lunches to happy hours to daily chats with coworkers, there were plenty of opportunities to connect with everyone on a personal level. These events allowed me to build great relationships, which I found to be one of the most rewarding aspects of my internship experience.

What aspects of our firm’s culture did you find most appealing or unique?
One of the most unique and appealing aspects of Secretariat’s culture is seeing a leadership team that is so open, communicative, and invested in every part of the company, including the intern experience. This is not something you typically see in a large company, and it made the organization feel much more connected, approachable, and welcoming.

“From the moment I joined, the genuine friendliness I experienced company-wide made me feel like a valued part of the team.”

Sarah Saadeh, Delay

School: UC Berkeley
Major: Civil Engineering
Office Location: Los Angeles, United States

How would you describe this internship experience to others?
This internship was an incredibly enriching, challenging, and rewarding experience, offering a unique blend of industry knowledge and practical skills. Working with the Construction Delay team at Secretariat provided me with deep insights into the complexities of construction scheduling and litigation consulting. From day one, I was surrounded by professionals who were not only experts in their fields, but also generous with their time and knowledge. I received hands-on experience in analyzing schedules and preparing expert reports that allowed me to apply theoretical concepts in real-world scenarios.

What was the most rewarding thing about working with your practice group this summer?
The most rewarding aspect of working at Secretariat this summer was contributing to high-stakes projects where the analysis and reports I helped prepare had significant implications for ongoing legal cases. It was particularly fulfilling to help prepare critique reports that challenged and examined the conclusions of other experts. The work I performed enabled me to see how our expert analysis could influence the direction of a case and the potential outcomes for our clients. It was a powerful experience and a great learning opportunity.

How would you describe Secretariat’s company culture?
Secretariat’s company culture is both collaborative and supportive. The team at El Segundo was welcoming and always willing to offer guidance, which made coming into the office a positive, exciting experience. The firm fosters an environment where learning and professional growth are encouraged, and this was evident in the way the HR team provided excellent resources and support. Secretariat’s intern curriculum included weekly Zoom meetings that introduced interns to different fields within the firm. The learning opportunities built into Secretariat’s culture and work environment helped broaden my understanding of the firm’s work and how that aligns with my career aspirations. 

“The work I performed enabled me to see how our expert analysis could influence the direction of a case and the potential outcomes for our clients. It was a powerful experience and a great learning opportunity.”

Tooba Palla, Investigations

School: Oxford Brookes University
Major: Accounting
Office Location: Dubai, UAE

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned this summer? 
It’s not about what you know, but your mindset and how much you’re willing to learn. If you show up every day with a curious mind and you’re willing to put in the work, you can learn a great deal. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions, we’re all learning from each other.

What was the most rewarding thing about working with your practice group this summer?
During my internship, I evaluated policies and regulations compliance and identified missing information and suspicious activities to assess and investigate the risk of money laundering. Certainly, the most rewarding thing about working with the Investigations group was feeling like I was making a difference every day by doing work that was meaningful, essential, and in line with my personal values.

Tell us about any new skills or knowledge you gained or improved through this internship.
My internship experience provided me with the ideal combination of experience to develop my soft skills and my technical knowledge.

This was the first time I worked in an office setting. Through watching my wonderful colleagues, mentors, and superiors, I learnt how to conduct myself during internal and external meetings. More specifically, I learnt how to communicate with clients, how to tailor my speech and the information I provide to suit a client’s specific needs, and how to read the subtle cultural nuances that are an essential part of working in the Middle East.

From a more technical standpoint, I learnt about different structures and legal entities that people use to manage their wealth. I did not just learn the definition of topics like PICs, trusts, offshore bank accounts, BVI, and holding companies; rather, I learnt about the advantages, opportunities and challenges of these entities, how they can be used to conceal transactions, and how to identify if they are being used for legitimate purposes.

“[Throughout my internship, I felt] like I was making a difference every day by doing work that was meaningful, essential, and in line with my personal values.”