Berkeley Research Group (BRG) is a global advisory and expert consulting firm serving corporations, law firms, financial institutions, and government agencies. Founded in 2010, BRG has grown into a leading platform across three core areas:
- Disputes and Investigations
- Corporate Finance
- Performance Improvement & Advisory
BRG is best known for its combination of economic rigor, financial expertise, data analytics capabilities, and industry specialization.
This profile covers BRG’s history, services, recruiting model, compensation, culture, and career trajectory.
Firm Key Stats
- Firm Website: www.thinkbrg.com/
- Firm Headquarters: Emeryville, California
- Firm Number of Employees: ~1,600
- Firm Number of Locations: 40+
- Firm Chief Executive: Tri MacDonald (CEO and President)
- Firm Revenue: Estimated $600M+ annually (private; not publicly disclosed)
Since its founding, Berkeley Research Group has expanded meaningfully in both geographic footprint and service breadth, particularly across restructuring, healthcare advisory, forensic investigations, and economic consulting.
BRG History
Berkeley Research Group was founded in 2010 with a foundation in data analytics and expert advisory services. From inception, the firm emphasized a Silicon Valley-inspired talent model focused on:
- Collaboration
- Intellectual rigor
- Agility
- Entrepreneurial ownership
In 2017, BRG raised $63 million from Endeavour Capital to support expansion and provide liquidity to early investors. Since then, the firm has grown through both organic expansion and strategic senior hires across restructuring, healthcare, financial services, energy, and disputes.
In approximately 15 years, BRG has evolved from a boutique analytics-focused firm into a diversified global advisory platform competing with firms such as FTI Consulting, AlixPartners, NERA Economic Consulting, Charles River Associates (CRA), and The Brattle Group in select practice areas.
BRG Careers
Compared to MBB firms, your career at BRG will focus on a narrower scope / set of problems clients are facing (e.g., more technical cases). If you are passionate about the types of problems BRG solves, however, it can be a good fit. A BRG career enables you to:
- Develop client relationship skills
- Build out your consulting toolkit by learning from industry experts
- Learn in a global environment (e.g., can learn new languages or travel)
- Work in a “flat”, entrepreneurial environment
Berkeley Research Group Internship
Berkeley Research Group offers an approximately 8-week summer internship program.
Interns typically:
- Work on live client engagements
- Conduct quantitative analysis
- Build financial or economic models
- Attend client meetings (where applicable)
- Receive mentorship from senior consultants
Internships serve as a primary pipeline for full-time analyst hiring.
Practice Areas
While narrower in scope than MBB firms, Berkeley Research Group operates deep technical practices across complex, high-stakes matters.
1. Disputes and Investigations
This practice supports clients in litigation, arbitration, regulatory investigations, and forensic matters. Services include:
- Economic analysis and expert testimony
- Antitrust and competition matters
- Forensic accounting and fraud investigations
- International arbitration support
- Cyber investigations and data analytics
- Regulatory and enforcement response
BRG experts frequently serve as testifying experts in high-profile commercial disputes.
2. Corporate Finance
BRG’s corporate finance team focuses on transactional and financial advisory work, including:
- Transaction advisory
- Valuation services
- Restructuring and turnaround advisory
- Interim management (CFO, CRO support)
- Creditor advisory (including UCC engagements)
This group often overlaps with private equity, distressed investing, and special situations clients.
3. Performance Improvement & Advisory
BRG advises companies on operational and strategic performance, including:
- Board advisory services
- Finance transformation
- Operational improvement
- Cost optimization
- Risk and compliance advisory
- Crisis management
Compared to generalist strategy firms, this work tends to be more implementation-oriented and financially grounded.
Industries
Although BRG’s practice structure is specialized, its industry coverage is broad and cross-cutting. Key industries include:
- Financial Services
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Energy & Climate
- Technology, Media & Telecommunications
- Real Estate
- Retail & Consumer Goods
- Higher Education
- Insurance
- Government & Public Sector
- Blockchain, Cryptocurrency & Digital Assets
BRG has built particularly strong reputations in healthcare advisory, economic regulation, restructuring, and financial disputes.
BRG Locations
Berkeley Research Group operates in 40+ offices worldwide, including:
North America
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York
- San Francisco
- Toronto
- Washington, DC
Europe, Middle East & Africa
- London
- Brussels
- Dubai
- Johannesburg
Asia-Pacific
- Singapore
- Sydney
- Tokyo
Latin America
- Buenos Aires
- Rio de Janeiro
The firm continues expanding selectively in key financial and regulatory hubs.
Career Path
A career at Berkeley Research Group differs from MBB-style generalist consulting. Work is typically:
- More technical
- More analytically intensive
- More specialized by practice
That said, professionals at BRG gain exposure to complex, high-impact client situations and expert-driven engagements.
BRG follows a structured promotion path similar to other consulting firms:
- Analyst / Associate
- Senior Associate
- Manager / Director
- Managing Director
Promotions are merit-based and depend on performance, technical skill development, and client contributions.
What You Develop at BRG
- Advanced financial and economic modeling skills
- Litigation and expert support exposure
- Client-facing communication experience
- Industry-specific expertise
- Cross-border project exposure
The firm maintains a relatively flat, entrepreneurial structure compared to large global strategy firms.
Exit Opportunities
Because BRG work is specialized, exits tend to reflect that specialization. Common exits include:
- Private equity / credit / distressed investing
- Corporate finance roles
- Strategy & operations (within industry specialization)
- Investment banking
- Restructuring advisory
- Business school
Compared to generalist consulting, exits are typically more finance- or analytics-oriented.
Target Schools
Based on LinkedIn employee data, BRG recruits heavily from:
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Virginia
- UC Berkeley
- University of Maryland
- William & Mary
- Other strong public and private universities with finance/economics programs
Hiring is both campus-based and lateral.
Berkeley Research Group Culture
Berkeley Research Group describes its culture as entrepreneurial and collaborative. The firm emphasizes:
- Intellectual curiosity
- Technical excellence
- Ownership mindset
- Cross-disciplinary teamwork
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) include:
- Asian-Pacific Professional Network
- Black Professionals’ Network
- Jewish Professionals
- Latinx Network
- ThinkPride
- Women’s Leadership Initiative
Online ratings remain in the high-3 to low-4 range (as of early 2026), with employees citing:
Positives
- Steep learning curve
- Exposure to complex cases
- High-caliber colleagues
Challenges
- Work-life balance variability
- Intensity during litigation or transaction deadlines
- Leadership experience varies by practice
As with most advisory firms, experience differs meaningfully by office and group.
Berkeley Research Group Interview
The Berkeley Research Group interview process typically includes:
- Initial screening (phone or virtual)
- Technical interview(s)
- Case interview or modeling assessment
- Final-round in-person or virtual interviews
Behavioral Questions
- Why Berkeley Research Group?
- Describe a time you handled conflict
- Tell us about a challenging analytical problem you have solved
Technical Components May Include:
- Case study
- Financial modeling questions
- Valuation exercises
- Economics and accounting concepts
- Quantitative math questions
Candidates should confirm format expectations with recruiters, as technical depth varies by practice area. For a full list of the BRG on-campus events, check out BRG’s website here.
BRG Salary
Compensation at Berkeley Research Group remains competitive within economic and advisory consulting but typically below MBB total compensation levels.
Compensation varies by office, practice, and performance.
At senior levels, Managing Directors are compensated based on revenue generation and practice leadership.
See the latest numbers in our Consulting Salary Report.
Conclusion
Berkeley Research Group (BRG) has grown from a data analytics-focused startup in 2010 into a global advisory platform with nearly 2,000 professionals worldwide. The firm operates across disputes, corporate finance, and performance improvement, with deep technical specialization and industry expertise.
Compared to MBB firms, BRG offers:
- Narrower but deeper problem sets
- Greater exposure to financial and litigation-driven work
- Strong technical skill development
- Specialized exit opportunities
For candidates interested in economic consulting, restructuring, expert advisory, or finance-oriented consulting, Berkeley Research Group represents a compelling alternative to traditional strategy firms.