• Artificial Intelligence - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Valuing AI IP: Demystifying the Black Box

    September 2, 2026

    This article provides practical takeaways for valuing U.S. IP involving AI, machine learning, and LLMs. It is not a fulsome valuation methodology. It is a set of warnings; legal scope, technical substance, transferability, detectability, and enforcement can radically change the value of an AI-related IP asset. The gold rush for artificial intelligence (AI)-related intellectual property (IP) has made it difficult to separate genuinely valuable assets from expensive paperwork. Changing law, buried prior art, weak secrecy, poor drafting, and shifting market demand can make AI-related IP assets worth far less than they appear. The answer is not simply to count patent…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    DSO as a Hidden Valuation Risk: Five Questions to Ask Before Trusting DSO

    September 2, 2026

    The problem begins when DSO answers one question while valuation requires another. DSO tells us how quickly receivables have been collected on average. Business valuation asks whether those receivables are likely to become future cash flows as expected. Those questions are related, but they are not the same. The author describes what questions to ask when reviewing DSO metrics. Days sales outstanding (DSO) is one of the most trusted metrics in accounts receivable analysis. Finance professionals use it to monitor collection efficiency, evaluate working capital performance, and identify changes in customer payment behavior. That trust is largely justified. The problem…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Grade Me: A 30-Minute Framework for Reviewing Valuation Reports

    August 26, 2026

    The concept behind my “Grade Me” framework is straightforward: Valuation professionals can improve report quality by reviewing their work from the perspective of an informed reader who does not have the preparer’s background knowledge. A structured 30-minute review can identify issues before they become client concerns or litigation problems. Every valuation report is eventually reviewed by someone other than the person who prepared it. The reviewer may be a firm partner, a client, opposing counsel, a trier of fact, a regulator, a credentialing organization, or another valuation professional. Each reviewer approaches the report with a different perspective, but all are…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    The Enterprise-to-Equity Bridge: Avoiding Double Counts and Omissions in Business Valuation

    August 26, 2026

    Errors in the enterprise-to-equity bridge may cause cash, debt, working capital, or non-operating assets to be counted twice, omitted entirely, or treated inconsistently among valuation approaches. These errors can be particularly significant in litigation and marital dissolution matters, where the ultimate question is generally the value of a specific ownership interest rather than only the value of the company’s operations. A business valuation may employ an appropriate methodology, a reasonable benefit stream, and a supportable discount rate or market multiple, yet still arrive at an incorrect conclusion of equity value. One of the most common reasons is an error in…

  • Artificial Intelligence - Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    Using AI to Prepare a Personal Spending Analysis for Litigation: Potential Cost Reduction

    August 17, 2026

    Parties to litigation proceedings are often required to disclose their personal spending. The information provided to the Court may require certification that the information is complete, true, and accurate under penalty of perjury, yet often based, at least in part, on estimates. This article shows how a few simple steps can achieve the desired results without the costs, time, or guesswork. Parties to litigation proceedings are often required to disclose their personal spending. The information provided to the Court may require certification that the information is complete, true, and accurate under penalty of perjury, yet often based, at least in…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Gray Divorce: A Collaborative Approach to Supporting Clients Through Later-Life Transitions

    August 17, 2026

    Gray divorce demands genuine collaboration among professionals who each hold a distinct piece of the client’s financial and legal picture. When these professionals operate in silos, critical details fall through the cracks. Conversely, when the team functions as a cohesive unit, clients are far better positioned to reach divorce settlements that are not only legally sound, but financially sustainable. The author shares the importance of embracing a collaborative approach for these more mature clients. Gray divorce, generally defined as a divorce at age 50 or later, has become one of the most consequential and complex transitions clients bring to their…

  • Financial Forensics - QuickRead Top Story

    26 Years of Internet Crime Reports: Crypto and Warnings in the Weirdness (Part II of II)

    August 12, 2026

    The Internet Crime Complaint Center has issued reports over the past 26 years that detail the types of crimes reported involving the use of the internet. Despite the sense that crime is random and unpredictable, the author finds that is not the case and, in this article, sets forth the commonalities missed. Read Part I here. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports did not first encounter cryptocurrency as a mature asset class. Cryptocurrency appeared as a warning sign, denoted with a simple “various payments” summary as a payment mechanism for ransomware and later appearing inside other crime types. Long…

  • Practice Management - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Build or Buy? Is It Time to Convert to Valuation Software in the Age of AI?

    August 12, 2026

    Few issues generate more spirited conversation among valuation practitioners than the debate over whether to use Excel or a valuation software package. The author opines that the decision today is not a simple build-versus-buy issue. The issue is how to combine specialized business valuation software with requisite integrated databases and supervised AI tools for the end-user’s and clients’ benefit. Few issues generate more spirited conversation among valuation practitioners than the debate over whether to use Excel or a valuation software package. After all, many practitioners have invested hundreds, or thousands, of hours developing their own spreadsheets, templates, linked databases, and…

  • Financial Forensics - Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    26 Years of Internet Crime Reports: From Beanie Babies to Investment Scams (Part I of II)

    August 5, 2026

    Internet fraud continues to thrive. In this article, the author summarizes the types of fraud and how online fraud will continue to evolve, and what readers can do to recognize what form fraud will take. When the FBI’s Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC, later renamed to IC3) first opened its doors in May 2000, it took in a mere 20,014 complaints in the first partial year of operation.[1] A quarter-century later, it has taken in more than 9 million complaints, with $11.366 billion in cryptocurrency related losses alone in a single year.[2] These annual reports are a chronicle of growing…

  • Forensic Accounting - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    The Number That Lies: Recognizing Valuation Manipulation as Fraud

    August 5, 2026

    A business valuation is one of the most manipulation-friendly disciplines in professional services. The stakes are high and because of this, someone, somewhere, could find themselves motivated to move the number. For the valuation expert, understanding where legitimate (and permissible) advocacy ends, and intentional distortion begins is not simply an academic exercise. It is a professional survival skill, and increasingly, a legal one. The author discusses four schemes where fraud may occur and describes the red flags professionals need to recognize to identify fraud. The Setup The valuation was delivered to the client and the business appeared healthy. The revenue…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    The Anatomy of a Defensible Valuation: What Discounts the Value of a Business (Part III of III)

    July 29, 2026

    Every accountant, attorney, or advisor guiding a privately held business owner eventually runs into the same question: “What is the business really worth?” The word “really” suggests a bit of skepticism and proposes the need for a framework. This series dissects that structure: the anatomy of a valuation that the opposing side of the table will respect rather than tear apart. Part III examines what exactly is being valued. Read Part I here. |  Read Part II here. Parts I and II built the machinery; sound methods applied to normalized earnings and a precise definition of the interest being sold.…

  • Case Law - QuickRead Top Story

    Legal Update: Bowers v. Russell—Testing the Limits of an ESOP’s Plan Fiduciary’s Duty and Redemption Pricing

    July 29, 2026

    Bowers v. Russell is a recent U.S. District Court case where ESOP plan participants sued, alleging the fiduciary breached his duty to plan participants. The company in question was sold to a third party, which prompted the claims. Plaintiffs alleged that plan fiduciaries breached their fiduciary duty by (1) including a minority share discount in shares being redeemed and (2) awarding bonuses to board members and key employees that reduced the value of the redeemed ESOP shares. This article sets forth the facts, issues, and court’s ruling. Bowers v. Russell is a recent U.S. District Court case where ESOP plan…

  • Artificial Intelligence - Practice Management - QuickRead Top Story

    Breakfast Events: Beat the Algorithm in Business Development

    July 22, 2026

    AI is effective in producing outputs. AI, however, is unable to operate in a physical world. In this article, the author underscores the value people put in being around people and recommends best practices to set up breakfast events. It is hard to resist a good AI automation story. In a recent one, the author set up a team of AI agents to run parts of his business. I paid particular attention to his business development agent because that is the work I do. This agent did research, sent e-mails, and made LinkedIn connections. The kind of activities the author…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    The Anatomy of a Defensible Valuation: What Exactly is Being Sold? Defining the Interest to Profile the Risk (Part II of III)

    July 22, 2026

    Every accountant, attorney, or advisor guiding a privately held business owner eventually runs into the same question: “What is the business really worth?” The word “really” suggests a bit of skepticism and proposes the need for a framework. This series dissects that structure: the anatomy of a valuation that the opposing side of the table will respect rather than tear apart. Part II examines what exactly is being valued. Read Part I Here. In Part I, we built the structure of a defensible valuation: triangulated methods, normalized earnings, a documented discount rate, a terminal value that respects common sense. Now…

  • Artificial Intelligence

    A Guide to AI Confidentiality: What You Can and Can’t Upload

    July 22, 2026

    A practical framework for valuation analysts and forensic accountants who want AI’s efficiency without a confidentiality breach, a privilege waiver, or a professional standards violation. Why This Matters Now Every week, another valuation analyst pastes a client’s trial balance into a free AI chatbot to “save time.” Most of them have never read the terms of service for the tool they are using, and many are violating their confidentiality obligations without realizing it. The problem is not AI. The problem is treating a consumer chatbot like a locked filing cabinet. This guide maps your existing professional obligations to concrete AI…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    The Anatomy of a Defensible Valuation: For CPAs, Attorneys, M&A Advisors, and Business Owners They Serve (Part I of III)

    July 15, 2026

    Every accountant, attorney, or advisor guiding a privately held business owner eventually runs into the same question: “What is the business really worth?” The word “really” suggests a bit of skepticism and proposes the need for a framework. This series dissects that structure; the anatomy of a valuation that the opposing side of the table will respect rather than tear apart. Part 1 covers the numbers themselves; the methods, the adjustments, and the two inputs that quietly control the entire conclusion. If there is one word a business valuator should live by, it is “defensible.” You can never do too…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Multidisciplinary Valuation Opportunities and Challenges: Risks and Benefits

    July 15, 2026

    Multidisciplinary valuation can be highly rewarding but can also be quite mysterious. Regardless, the public needs cross disciplinary work and does not care whether a problem belongs in business valuation or real property appraisal, for example. They simply want a conclusion that is well supported and defensible. The author shares the benefits and risks providing multidisciplinary valuations. Multidisciplinary valuation is one of the most promising and most potentially hazardous specialties of professional valuation practice. It can be highly rewarding but can also be quite mysterious. Its many possibilities also contain traps for the unwary. Regardless, the public needs cross‑disciplinary work…

  • Artificial Intelligence - QuickRead Top Story

    Turn Your Last 10 Valuation Reports into a Custom AI Writing Assistant: How to Teach AI Your Firm’s Voice, Structure, and Standard Language so First Drafts Come Out 80% Done Instead of 40%

    July 8, 2026

    Generic AI drafts fail because they pull from broad, impersonal sources resulting in textbook-like output with wrong tone, structure, and terminology. The solution is not better AI, but better training; teach it your firm’s own voice using your past work. If you have experimented with AI for report writing, you have probably hit the same wall most valuation professionals hit: the output is competent but generic. It reads like a textbook wrote it. The section order is not yours, the terminology is slightly off, the tone is wrong for your clients, and by the time you have rewritten it to…

  • Financial Forensics - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Bridging Valuation and Forensics: When Numbers Tell a Story They Shouldn’t

    July 8, 2026

    The strongest valuation conclusions are not simply precise, they are resilient and able to withstand challenge because they connect analytical rigor with evidentiary discipline. Value is not produced by a spreadsheet alone; it is produced by economic reality, supported by credible information, and interpreted through professional judgment. In this article, the author shares a four-part framework to assess financial statements and underscores importance and value that professionals bring when they are able to pivot between valuation and forensic practices, recognize and assess potential red flags, and determine if the value story is credible. In business valuation, numbers often arrive wearing…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Sports Valuation: Expanding the Practitioners’ Toolkit

    July 8, 2026

    Sports valuation does not require abandoning established valuation principles. However, sports assets often combine complex commercial operations, unique intangible assets with no cash flows, regulatory constraints that may differ across jurisdictions, leagues, and sports, and accepted highly uncertain future outcomes, less common in traditional industries. As a result, the challenge for practitioners is properly defining the valuation problem before attempting to solve it. In this article, the author shares the complexities arising in this market. Why Sports Valuation Matters for Valuation Practitioners Over the past decade, the sports industry has evolved from a specialist, niche sector into an increasingly active…