• Artificial Intelligence

    Excel Just Got Smarter: How to Add Claude to Your Spreadsheet Workflow

    April 1, 2026

    This article highlights a video resource showing how to add Claude to Excel and start using AI directly inside a familiar spreadsheet environment. The topic is especially relevant for professionals who want faster ways to summarize data, generate formulas, organize information, and reduce repetitive spreadsheet tasks. The video’s core promise is that users can bring the benefits of Claude’s AI model into Excel, opening the door to a more efficient workflow for analysis and reporting. Excel has long been one of the most widely used tools in business, but AI is changing what spreadsheets can do. If you have ever…

  • Case Law - QuickRead Top Story

    Legal Update: March 2026 | LeVine v. Platzer: Valuation of Intangible Assets Under New York Partnership Law Statute

    March 25, 2026

    The valuation of an ownership interest in a law firm can be challenging because it will often include significant unknowns as of the valuation date. The existence of uncertainty is not a justification for assigning no value to such assets. The author discusses LeVine v. Platzer, which involves the valuation of a law firm’s intangible assets under New York’s Partnership Law Statute. According to the United States Small Business Administration, nearly half of small law firms will break up. Those breakups are typically driven by economics or personalities. Either way, somebody needs to determine the value of the firm’s assets…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    Red Flags Indicating a Breach of Fiduciary Duty in Financial Disputes

    March 25, 2026

    Forensic accountants are frequently brought into litigated disputes to examine whether individuals in positions of trust, such as business partners, executives, or agents, have breached their fiduciary duties. While this article concerns legal issues, the author intends to express no legal conclusions and/or opinions. Forensic accountants should consult the counsel that engaged them. Introduction Forensic accountants are frequently brought into litigated disputes to examine whether individuals in positions of trust, such as business partners, executives, or agents, have breached their fiduciary duties. While this article concerns legal issues, the author intends to express no legal conclusions and/or opinions. Forensic accountants…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    Documents of Testifying Experts: Are My Draft Reports and Notes Discoverable?

    March 18, 2026

    The purpose of this article is to explain the author’s understanding of certain issues impacting the discoverability of documents of forensic accounting, economic damages, and business valuation expert witnesses. This article is not intended to provide legal opinions, advice, or conclusions. It merely reflects the author’s current understanding of certain legal issues relating to certain aspects of expert witness reports, e-mails, and notes. Experts should consult with retaining counsel regarding specific engagement rules. Introduction The purpose of this article is to explain the author’s understanding of certain issues impacting the discoverability of documents of forensic accounting, economic damages, and business…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    Ensuring Data Authenticity and Governance in Litigation and Business Environments

    March 18, 2026

    As digital interdependence and geopolitical fragmentation grow, ensuring data authenticity, security, and regulatory compliance is more crucial than ever. Trust in data has eroded due to the opaque nature of AI systems, varying regulatory regimes, and governance gaps, reinforcing a critical need for transparency and accountability. The authors of this article discuss the regulatory framework, importance of data protection, risks of failing to protect the same, and how protected data is of value key to the use of AI. Introduction Ensuring data authenticity, security, and regulatory compliance is more crucial than ever as digital interdependence and geopolitical fragmentation continue to…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Unimpeachable Substance and Principles: Business Valuation Standards and the Substance and Principles of USPAP

    March 11, 2026

    In this 25th article of the Unimpeachable Neutrality series, the author wants to make a case that he believes is both technically accurate and practically necessary: the business valuation standards of NACVA, ASA, and the AICPA do not merely conform to the substance and principles of USPAP in a passive or derivative sense. They are built upon those principles, share the same foundational architecture, and in the specific context of business valuation, complement USPAP’s framework with discipline-specific structure. The conversation that the valuation/appraisal profession needs to have is not about which standard is superior. It is about recognizing that the…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    A Guide to Discovery Rules: Federal and State-by-State Guidelines that Expert Witnesses Should Know (Part II of II)

    March 11, 2026

    Navigating the maze of discovery rules in economic damage cases can be daunting. Professionals often face a patchwork of regulations across jurisdictions. This two-part article provides an overview of key discovery rules applicable in federal courts and each of the 50 U.S. states. Read Part I here. In this second part of the article, the rules for Mayland through Wyoming are summarized. Maryland Maryland’s discovery rules are codified in its Rules of Procedure, with a strong emphasis on early disclosures and efficient case management. Discoverable items include e-mails, business memos, draft proposals, and other relevant electronic or written records. For…

  • Artificial Intelligence

    Copilot Confusion: Figuring Out if Your M365 Licensing is Ready for AI

    March 11, 2026

    Microsoft Copilot is rapidly becoming one of the most talked-about AI tools in the workplace, but many organizations discover that enabling it is not as simple as flipping a switch. The biggest hurdle is often licensing. Different versions of Microsoft 365 include different capabilities, and not every plan supports Copilot. This article explains how to quickly determine whether your organization has the correct Microsoft 365 licensing for Copilot, what prerequisites are required, and how to identify gaps before attempting deployment. It also outlines the key licenses that are compatible with Copilot and provides a resource for checking your environment. Microsoft…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Understanding the Delta: When 409A Valuations Differ from Funding Rounds

    March 4, 2026

    In early‑stage and growth‑stage companies, it is common, and often surprising to founders, when the per‑share price established in an IRC §409A valuation does not match the price investors paid in a recent financing round. This difference can feel counterintuitive, especially when the company has just completed a successful raise and the preferred share price reflects strong investor interest. This article discusses why funding round and valuations differ. In early‑stage and growth‑stage companies, it is common, and often surprising to founders, when the per‑share price established in an IRC §409A valuation does not match the price investors paid in a…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    A Guide to Discovery Rules: Federal and State-by-State Guidelines that Expert Witnesses Should Know (Part I of II)

    March 4, 2026

    Navigating the maze of discovery rules in economic damage cases can be daunting. Professionals often face a patchwork of regulations across jurisdictions. This two-part article provides an overview of key discovery rules applicable in federal courts and each of the 50 U.S. states. Navigating the maze of discovery rules in economic damage cases can be daunting. Professionals often face a patchwork of regulations across jurisdictions. This two-part article provides an overview of key discovery rules applicable in federal courts and each of the 50 U.S. states. The discussion is on testifying experts, as their communications and work product are subject…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    Applying the Modern New Business Rule in Real Life: Overview of an Expert’s Testimony in a Precedent Setting Texas Court Case

    February 25, 2026

    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 case, the judge’s ruling, and the outcome of the litigation. Two years…

  • Practice Management - QuickRead Top Story

    Vetting a Client’s Projection: A Process

    February 25, 2026

    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 to be…

  • Artificial Intelligence

    Build Smarter Dashboards: Turning Raw Data into Real-Time Insights with ChatGPT

    February 25, 2026

    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 advisors constantly work with spreadsheets, exports from accounting…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Is the Risk-Free Rate Really Risk Free? Deconstructing the Idea of the Risk-Free Rate

    February 18, 2026

    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 building block for many valuation models. To…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    The Era of “Illiquid for Longer” in Private Equity: avigating Liquidity, Valuation, and Risk

    February 18, 2026

    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 slower distributions, more pressure from…

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

    A Collision Course in Evidentiary Standards for AI-Assisted Financial Forensics: How a New Proposed Rule of Evidence Seeks to Admit AI Analysis and Supplant Experts

    February 11, 2026

    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 financial forensics expert witnesses and the litigation support professionals. On January 30, 2026, Anthropic released…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Unimpeachable Methodological Consistency: The Foundation of Unassailable Authority

    February 11, 2026

    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 against aggressive cross-examination is not…

  • Artificial Intelligence

    Demystifying AI: A Beginner’s Roadmap to the Technology Behind ChatGPT

    February 11, 2026

    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 the pieces fit together and how tools like…

  • Healthcare - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Preparing a Medical or Dental Practice for a Someday Sale: Advice for Medical and Dental Professionals and Their Advisors

    February 4, 2026

    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 a simple write-up on ways in which they can…

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    Don’t Get Struck: Why Financial Experts Get Excluded and How to Avoid It

    February 4, 2026

    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, damages (including lost profits), liquidity requirements, whether a transaction is…