Unimpeachable Neutrality Redefined

New Year, Neutrality

It is incumbent upon those who attempt to become or remain as “thought leaders” to sometimes put some thought into what is written. This said, this 13^th article of the Unimpeachable Neutrality Series will cover some of the basics of what exactly “unimpeachable neutrality” is and how it is just as valuable and necessary in 2023.

I received a phone call from a distressed member the other day. I could tell they were younger, maybe late 20s. They described a situation that they could not define but I was very familiar with. The member described being in a situation where the opposing expert was being deceivingly biased and less than objective. The member then said that “they wish there was a word for someone who is unbiased, objective, and all the things an expert is supposed be” because they struggled to verbalize exactly what the opposing expert was not doing. I smugly suggested, “unimpeachable neutrality” maybe? The member responded “yeah, that sounds great, what is it?” I then proceeded to preach for about an hour, which I am sure I enjoyed far more than the member. Upon hanging up and out of curiosity, I Googled the term “unimpeachable neutrality” and what I found was shocking. The top three items included within the list of Google results all referred to something I wrote or a video of me discussing unimpeachable neutrality. Somewhere under those results the actual definition could be found. I decided to give “Bing” a chance. Bing attempted to provide a definition of unimpeachable neutrality but, ultimately, had even more websites with me as the common denominator than Google did listed in the first page of results. Flattering as it may be, I felt a little panic. Surely, I am not the authority on this topic but even if I am, had I been doing a sufficient job in defining unimpeachable neutrality? It is incumbent upon those who attempt to become or remain as “thought leaders” to sometimes put some thought into what is written. That said, this 13^th article of the Unimpeachable Neutrality Series will cover some of the basics of what exactly unimpeachable neutrality is and how it is just as valuable and necessary in 2023.  

Requests for Admission

Just five years ago, one would be hard pressed to find anyone who had heard of TikTok, Chat GPT, or Zoom. The environment that financial experts find themselves in 2023 has changed drastically since I began writing the Unimpeachable Neutrality Series in 2017. Thanks to Zoom and Teams, depositions now look more like the beginning of the Brady Bunch with every lawyer, expert, and court reporter looking like a talking head in a box. No offense Jambi, but this was not what I was envisioning when I first became qualified as an expert a decade ago. But even more astounding is the pace at which technology has taken hold and transformed the resources, tools, and weapons that experts and their opposition now have at their fingertips. It is critical that experts not become complacent by ignoring these new tools but also not to blindly trust the output as being either correct or sufficient. There is power with words and the degree of care we put into the content we generate. It is not wise to assume that antiquated ideas or concepts once taught to financial experts are still being treated as relevant. No matter how well or authoritative one writes, we can always strive to be more perfect.

Asked and Answered

As an economic expert, my life, every day of it, consists of attempting to assist the Court in making divorced, injured, and otherwise harmed litigants and persons whole. In other words, my day job often consists of determining the most unimpeachably neutral approach, assumptions, methodologies, data sets, measures, and/or allocations of something of value in such a way that is not biased or will not have created a windfall. To pull this off, one must be well read, well spoken, well mannered, and even well dressed. Even more important than looking, sounding, and being on point, is the virtue of unimpeachable neutrality.” Unimpeachable neutrality refers to the quality of being completely neutral and unbiased in a situation or decision-making process. Some primary characteristics of unimpeachable neutrality include:

• Objectivity: unimpeachable neutrality involves being objective and not letting personal opinions or biases influence the decision-making process.
• Fairness: unimpeachable neutrality involves treating all parties involved in a situation equally and without favoritism.
• Impartiality: unimpeachable neutrality involves being impartial and not taking sides in a dispute or disagreement.
• Independence: unimpeachable neutrality involves being independent and not being influenced by external pressures or interests.
• Transparency: unimpeachable neutrality involves being transparent and open about the decision-making process and any potential conflicts of interest.

Overall, unimpeachable neutrality is an important quality to strive for in many professional and personal contexts, as it helps ensure that decisions are made fairly and objectively.

Proposed Order

Unimpeachable neutrality is important for expert witnesses because it helps ensure that their testimony is objective and unbiased. Expert witnesses are typically called upon to provide testimony on a specific topic or issue in a legal case, and it is important that their testimony is based on factual evidence and not influenced by personal opinions or biases. If an expert witness is not neutral, their credibility and the reliability of their testimony is called into question. This can have significant consequences in a legal case, as the testimony of an expert witness is often relied upon by judges and juries to help them understand complex issues and make informed decisions. In addition, neutrality helps ensure that the expert witness does not take sides in the legal case, which is important for maintaining the integrity of the legal process. By remaining neutral, expert witnesses provide unbiased and objective testimony that helps ensure that justice is served in a fair and impartial manner.

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Zachary Meyers, CPA, CVA, has been retained in over 2,600 cases as a testifying, consulting, or joint/court appointed expert. He has testified and been qualified as an expert specific to civil, marital, and criminal litigation. Mr. Meyers was elected to the NACVA Standards Board in 2016, appointed Vice-Chair in 2017, elected Chair in 2018, and in 2019, was re-elected as Chair, which promulgates professional standards for financial professionals, analysts, and experts. Mr. Meyers was appointed as NACVA Standards Board liaison representative for the Global Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (GACVA) Advisory Council in 2020, which liaises with NACVA’s international chapters in Africa, Canada, Europe, India, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. In 2021, Mr. Meyers was elected to the Business Valuation Resource Panel of The Appraisal Foundation (TAF), whose purpose is preserving and improving the public trust in valuation.

Mr. Meyers can be contacted at (304) 690-2619 or by e-mail to czmcpacva@CZMeyers.com.