• Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    Applying the Modern New Business Rule in Real Life

    February 25, 2026

    Overview of an Expert’s Testimony in a Precedent Setting Texas Court Case The author had the opportunity of being the economic expert for the plaintiff in the initial case in the Business Court of Texas Eighth Division. This assignment provided the author with an opportunity to argue the modern new business rule as the basis for the lost profits calculations prepared in connection with the case. It provided the first Daubert (Robinson in Texas courts) challenge in business court and the first judge’s ruling on a motion to exclude an expert’s testimony for the business court. This article reviews the…

  • Practice Management - QuickRead Top Story

    Vetting a Client’s Projection

    February 25, 2026

    A Process As valuation professionals, we sometimes serve dual roles. In this article, the author shares a step-by-step listing of his vetting process. This checklist is meant as his guide but is also used to help clients start the projection process. The guide is for anyone using a projection as a guide to a valuation analysis. Business valuators are typically provided with a client’s budget or financial projection which can help when preparing the eventual valuation. In most situations, these are optimistic and are usually intended to convince a lender or investor to make a positive decision, so it needs…

  • Artificial Intelligence

    Build Smarter Dashboards

    February 25, 2026

    Turning Raw Data into Real-Time Insights with ChatGPT This article explains how professionals can use ChatGPT to create custom dashboards from virtually any dataset—without needing advanced programming skills. It walks through how AI can assist with structuring raw data, identifying key performance indicators, generating visualizations, and even producing dashboard-ready code that you can view immediately. The piece highlights how AI reduces development time, improves insight discovery, and allows consultants and advisors to rapidly prototype and deploy decision-support tools for clients. A companion video resource demonstrates the full process step-by-step. Data is everywhere—but insight is not. Consultants, valuation professionals, and financial…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Is the Risk-Free Rate Really Risk Free?

    February 18, 2026

    Deconstructing the Idea of the Risk-Free Rate To evaluate future risk factors, analysts should understand the composition of the risk-free rate and consider the data influencing U.S. Treasury Bond yields. This article analyzes the criteria for evaluating the risk-free rate for use in engagements involving business valuations and economic damages. The general notion of a “risk-free rate” is the return available as of the valuation date on a security that the market generally regards as free of the risk of default.[1] U.S. Treasuries have fit this profile for decades, providing minimum, safe alternatives for risk-averse investors. They also provide a…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    The Era of “Illiquid for Longer” in Private Equity

    February 18, 2026

    Navigating Liquidity, Valuation, and Risk When exits slow down, everything else starts to feel tighter. That is where many sponsors are today. In this article, the authors discuss the reasons for the longer exits and ramifications. Private equity runs on exits. When exits slow down, everything else starts to feel tighter: fund timelines, liquidity planning, and even conversations with investors. That is where many sponsors are today. Exits are taking longer, buyers are tougher on price, and financing is not as easy as it used to be, so more companies are staying in portfolios past the “normal” timeline. That means…

  • Financial Forensics - Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    A Collision Course in Evidentiary Standards for AI-Assisted Financial Forensics

    February 11, 2026

    How a New Proposed Rule of Evidence Seeks to Admit AI Analysis and Supplant Experts On January 30, 2026, Anthropic released legal plugins for its Claude AI that automate contract review, compliance tracking, and legal analysis. Within three days, $285 billion in market value evaporated from legal software and publishing companies. This was not a correction. It was a signal. The AI companies are no longer content selling infrastructure, now they are coming for the legal, financial, and forensic analysis applications themselves. The author discusses the legal and practical repercussions that the new Federal Rule of Evidence would have on…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Unimpeachable Methodological Consistency

    February 11, 2026

    The Foundation of Unassailable Authority When you sit in deposition or at trial, you can speak with absolute confidence about your methodology because it is not something you invented for this case. It is something you have applied in hundreds or thousands of cases. The best defense against aggressive cross-examination is not clever language or diplomatic positioning. It is methodological consistency applied with rigor. In this 24th article of the Unimpeachable Neutrality series, the author addresses something that has become increasingly important as technology changes the nature of expert testimony: the relationship between consistency, methodology, and credibility. The best defense…

  • Artificial Intelligence

    Demystifying AI

    February 11, 2026

    A Beginner’s Roadmap to the Technology Behind ChatGPT I also get asked about the technology behind AI and have wanted to create an easy-to-read guide on the topic. So, here it is! This guide serves as a foundational primer on modern AI, written for readers who want to understand the technology without needing a technical background. It walks through the major building blocks of today’s AI ecosystem, including large language models, generative AI, machine learning, neural networks, tokens, vector databases, RAG systems, and AI agents. Each concept is explained using analogies and simple examples so readers can quickly grasp how…

  • Healthcare - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Preparing a Medical or Dental Practice for a Someday Sale

    February 4, 2026

    Advice for Medical and Dental Professionals and Their Advisors This article walks readers through what really matters long before these professionals think about listing their practice for sale. Understanding the “why” behind each step, not just the “what”, is crucial. As one reads through, keep in mind that the information is generalized, not specific to a specific specialty area. It is strongly suggested the dental and medical professionals consult with a trusted professional(s) to provide the smoothest path toward the transition or retirement phase. *Preface: Recently, I have had two medical/dental practice valuation referrals, and two physician-clients ask me for…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    Don’t Get Struck

    February 4, 2026

    Why Financial Experts Get Excluded and How to Avoid It In this article, the authors describe at a high level the rules governing admissibility of expert testimony, discuss common pitfalls, and provide some tips for avoiding these pitfalls so that expert opinions can be admitted into evidence with maximum effect. Financial experts play a vital role in financial restructurings, delivering important insights in many contexts, including plan confirmation, analysis of sales of a debtor’s property, preferential and fraudulent transfer litigation, and many other areas. They also can be pivotal in commercial disputes and transactions, opining on business and asset valuation,…