Lightfoot, Franklin & White Partner Brandon Essig Speaks at Auburn University

April 18, 2017

Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC partner Brandon Essig spoke Monday, April 17 to more than 70 students enrolled in a fraud examination course at Auburn University. The class is part of Auburn’s Masters of Accountancy program and is taught by Kevin Robinson, the university’s Associate Vice President for Audit, Compliance & Privacy.

Essig spoke to students about the importance of accounting in investigations. He provided the students with factual scenarios based on his broad experience conducting investigations as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, in the Marine Corps, and in a corporate environment.

“It was such a privilege to spend the afternoon with these bright students at one of our State’s flagship universities,” said Essig. “Investing in the next generation and in our communities is an integral part the Lightfoot culture, so I’m grateful for opportunities like this to give back and represent the firm. It is also an excellent opportunity to get feedback from future leaders in the field of forensic accounting, which is increasingly a critical skill set in the type of compliance and investigations work our firm practices.”

Essig recently joined Lightfoot after nearly eight years as a federal prosecutor for the Department of Justice in the Middle District of Alabama. He tried multiple felony jury trials each year, and he handled investigations that included public corruption, money laundering and various fraud cases. Prior to his time at the DOJ, Essig was a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps where he worked as a prosecutor and deployed with an infantry unit to Fallujah, Iraq. His career also includes serving in the legal department of a major defense contractor.