Category: Forensics

Forensics

Production of Financial Documents to Prove Economic Damages – How to Obtain the Documentary Support Needed to Prove Lost Profits? by Daniel S. Hughes, CPA/CFF/CGMA, CVA, and Richard S. Fechter, JD, CFE, CAMS


Posted on November 10, 2023 by Daniel Hughes

When my colleagues and I delivered a presentation to the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar about proving and defending claims of lost profits in commercial litigation matters, a Florida Judge asked a thought-provoking question: How many years of financial documents should a Plaintiff seeking economic damages be able to get (2 years, 3 […]

Forensic Accounting / Financial Investigations — New Regulations Hope to Provide Effective Tools to Identify Beneficial Owners by Richard S. Fechter, JD, CFE, CAMS


Posted on November 10, 2023 by Richard Fechter

Victims of crimes, law enforcement and other interested parties often retain forensic accountants to investigate financial crimes. These professionals have specialized multidisciplinary skills necessary to identify financial crimes, analyze the financial transactions constituting the overt acts of these crimes, and provide expert testimony on the methodologies criminals use and the damages victims incur. The critical […]

A Cautionary Tale About Expert Testimony in Damages Calculations by Joel Glick, CPA/CFF, CFE, CGMA


Posted on September 19, 2023 by Joel Glick

A Pennsylvania judge recently vacated a plaintiff’s $25 million damages award based on the plaintiff’s expert failure to provide at trial “a sufficient factual basis” for the numbers he relied on for calculating lost profits. Although the judge in Paramount Financial: Civil Action Communications, et al. v. Broadridge investor: Communications Solutions agreed with the jury’s […]

Florida Ends Permanent Alimony by Sandra Perez, CPA/ABV/CFF, CFE


Posted on July 05, 2023 by Sandi Perez

On June 30, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law Senate Bill 1416, which brings significant changes to the state’s alimony laws, including eliminating permanent alimony from the statutes. The new law, which went into effect on July 1, 2023, applies to petitions for dissolution of marriage filed or pending on that date or […]

3 Methods for Calculating Lost Profits by Scott Bouchner, CMA, CVA, CFE, CIRA


Posted on June 13, 2023 by Scott Bouchner

The $787.5 million settlement recently reached between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News is historic for many reasons, including both parties’ ability to agree upon a payout amount just minutes before the trial was set to begin. In its initial suit, Dominion sought damages totaling $1.6 billion for Fox News’s false and defamatory statements that […]

What Constitutes Best Evidence to Support Claims of Economic Damages? by Scott Bouchner, CMA, CVA, CFE, CIRA


Posted on September 07, 2022 by Scott Bouchner

In cases involving economic damages, attorneys have an obligation to prove lost profits with “reasonable certainty” based on the use of “best evidence.” Considering that the courts have not agreed on one universally accepted standard for defining “best evidence,” such decisions inevitably rely on the facts and circumstances of each individual case. As a result, […]

Do You Need a Construction Overrun Investigation? by Joel Glick, CPA/CFF, CFE, CGMA


Posted on August 17, 2022 by Joel Glick

While construction cranes continue to dot the skylines of cities across the world, the construction industry is facing a challenging time. Soaring demand for projects are being hampered by rising costs of construction materials, delivery delays due to supply chain disruptions and a shortage of skilled laborers. In this environment, real estate developers, building owners […]