§ 00
Practice areas
Forensic Accounting Services
Practice areas covering fraud, valuation, litigation and cross-border work. Every engagement produces documentation built to be examined — by opposing counsel, by an insurer, or by a court.
§ 01
FA
Fraud Auditing
Auditing for fraud is the application of audit procedures to business transactions in a way that raises the probability of identifying fraud. It is a different exercise from a statutory audit: the question is not whether the statements are fairly presented, but whether someone made them look that way on purpose. The work follows Statements of Auditing Standards No. 53, 82 and 99.
What it covers
Detecting and identifying fraud and its critical indicators
Connecting financial reports, financial analysis and fraud detection techniques
Proposing a fraud deterrence, prevention or detection mechanism
Designing and recognising fraud audit programmes
Applying SAS 99 and the auditor’s professional responsibilities
Evaluating internal controls and assessing fraud risk
When you need it: unexplained losses, a whistle-blower report, a qualified audit opinion, or a suspicion you cannot yet prove.
§ 02
BV
Business Valuation
Procedures used to estimate the economic value of an owner’s interest in a business. Market participants use valuation to decide what they will pay or accept in a sale — and the same tools resolve disputes when there is no willing buyer.
Applied to
Sale or purchase of a business
Estate and gift taxation disputes
Divorce litigation and marital asset division
Allocating a purchase price among business assets
Buy-sell agreement formulas for partners’ ownership interests
Deliverable: a written valuation report with the methodology, the assumptions and the supporting data set out in full — because every one of them will be tested.
§ 03
LS
Litigation Support
The forensic accountant as expert consultant and expert witness. Damage calculations, business valuations, expert reports, expert testimony and alternative dispute resolution. Areas covered include contract disputes; personal injury, wrongful death and wrongful termination; claims against accountants; employee fraud; tax fraud; insurance; divorce; and intellectual property.
How we support counsel
Alternative dispute resolution: mediation, arbitration, combined mediation/arbitration, mini trial, summary jury trial and collaborative law
Proof of income analyses and damage calculations
Forensic examinations and divorce settlement determinations
Business valuations and rebuttal of opposing expert reports
§ 04
BC
Business Crime & Ethical Behavior
Business crime and ethical behaviour considers the acts, the necessary intent and the defences related to organisational, occupational and white-collar crime. The forensic accountant works on prevention; the criminal justice system handles punishment.
What it covers
Analysis and investigation of white-collar and business crime inside an organisation
Consumer and environmental crimes; securities, corporate and fiduciary fraud; corruption, government crimes and computer crime
Appropriate defences when a business entity is charged with business crime
Appraisal of statutory law and ethics codes for their ability to prevent business crime
Strategies for corporate accountants to prevent crime and ensure ethical behaviour
§ 05
IR
Internal Audit & Fraud Risk Management
A case-based approach to the internal audit function as a defence against fraud — built before a case exists, which is the only time it is cheap. Emphasis on fraud risk factors, concealment strategies, preventive and detective controls, auditing standards, governance and ethics.
What it covers
Fraud risk factors, fraud schemes and concealment strategies
Roles and responsibilities of internal audit in managing fraud risk
Standards and guidance from The Institute of Internal Auditors
The role of corporate governance in fraud risk management
Barriers to internal audit’s effectiveness and independence
Evaluation of the organisation’s fraud risk management system
The interrelated components of an internal control system
A generally accepted framework to evaluate internal control
Conducting a fraud risk assessment
Internal control procedures for preventing and detecting fraud — and their limits
Reasonable assurance: what it means and what it does not
§ 06
MA
Business Acquisition and Merger
The financial reporting problems that arise from business combinations, including complex multinational entities, and what they mean for every stakeholder.
Topics addressed
Fair value accounting for a business acquisition or merger
Preparation and interpretation of consolidated financial statements
Tax implications and cross-currency translation of financial statements
The full M&A lifecycle: conception, planning, the first 100 days post-close, IP due diligence, and ongoing evaluation
Also assisted with
Insurance claims · Economic damages calculation · Divorce & Equitable Distribution · Bribery investigations · Hidden assets · Employee theft
Not sure which one you need?
Describe the situation and we will tell you which service applies — or tell you that you do not need one. Confidential, no obligation.