A Primer on the Approaches and Issues Involved in Valuing Trademarks Valuation analysts are often called on to perform valuation, damages, and transfer price analyses of trademark-related intangible property for various purposes. This discussion describes the valuation of trademarks within the context of both financial accounting and income tax accounting (in particular, tax-related intercompany transfer pr ...

A Chapter 11 reorganization is a chaotic and challenging time for a distressed company says Samantha L. Albert, a senior financial analyst with Mercer Capital. There are many valuation-related considerations that management teams and financial advisers need to have knowledge of. This article discusses five key concepts to focus on when proceeding with a Chapter 11 reorganization. This article is republished ...

Business owners contemplating retirement should obtain a business valuation to determine the value of the business and whether the other resources will provide financial security. The conversation and successful engagement also requires that the valuation analyst understand the owner’s motivating factors, or the qualitative information. Obtaining the right price is important, but holding out for a larger va ...

Merger and acquisition activity in the healthcare industry has increased over the past few years. The playbook used in the past has shifted. In this article the authors share their views on whether and when to announce the deal, the importance of conducting pre-deal due diligence, appearing before the Board of Directors, understanding the constituents that are needed to succeed, and conducting pre-market du ...

Big data offers unlimited potential to change the way business is done, for almost any type of company says Arleen Thomas, Senior Vice President of Management Accounting, at the AICPA. Management accountants can use the ever-growing amount of data to make decisions that will increase the competitive advantage of clients’ businesses.  This article discusses not only the sources of data available to the finan ...

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) valuation is simple at its core, yet often intimidates many says Aswath Damodaran, Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University.  You need one only theory to value companies that is based on the equation that the value of an asset is the value of the expected cash flows over its lifetime, adjusted for risk and the time value of money. To learn how to ...

and the Process for the Valuation of a Closely Held Business (Part 1 of 2) Assessing shareholder value for either publicly held or privately held companies are two sides of the same coin. The U.S. capital markets have undergone significant changes in the past several years. This development in turn has had an impact on how these two types of companies are valued. Valuing public companies can be rather strai ...

Particular challenges can arise in goodwill impairment valuation and accounting when a company acquires a business located in another country.   When goodwill accounting standards are strictly applied, under U.S. GAAP or IFRS, the differences between write-offs taken in one country versus another should be minimal. This article delves into some of the notable differences in goodwill impairment conclusions w ...

Modeling Uncertainty to Gain Better Insight and Create Value Gary Lynch, founder and CEO of The Risk Management Project, proposes that uncertainty is the new normal and that firms that espouse risk management can create and preserve value. In this article, Lynch describes how his firm used quantitative models to assist a manufacturer assess how it should respond to a competitor’s price-reduction strategy an ...

The proper usage of company management-prepared projections when applying the Income Approach—Discounted Cash Flow Method—is an ongoing issue for any valuation analyst, especially as it relates to shareholder appraisal rights actions. The Delaware Chancery Court regularly provides guidance as to the proper usage of management projections when applying the Discounted Cash Flow Method within a dissenting shar ...

Phone fraud tops this year's list of the biggest IRS tax scams of 2015, states Sally P. Schreiber, JD, senior editor of Journal of Accountancy, followed by phishing, identity theft, return preparer fraud, and hiding income offshore, rounding out the top five scams. The article delves into the many schemes, including suspicious e-mails, detecting identity theft, refund fraud, fake charities, and more, and in ...

Thoughts from Experienced Litigation and Business Valuation Professionals Entering the Industry In this article, seasoned BV and litigation support professionals John DelGrego and Heidi Walker share why litigation can be invaluable to a BV professional. The co-authors also expound on the professional perils and high expectations placed by the Tax Court on expert witnesses. Expert witnesses must be objective ...

In this article, Peter Rahe describes how he presents the subject of market multiples to attorneys. He also raises important questions about business valuation multiples. ...

Corporations globally are faced with the complex problem of corruption, states Ravi Venkatesan in “Confronting Corruption” in McKinsey Quarterly.  It takes many forms, and perpetrators are skilled in developing new ways to be corrupt and cover their tracks. In corporations, there are multiple types of corruption, including bribes, extortion, speed money, and employee fraud.  The first steps into anti-corrup ...

A Case Study An ESOP is one of many options available to business owners considering succession-planning options. There are substantial advantages, but there are also regulatory and cost considerations. A feasibility study may suggest whether the ESOP is an appropriate option. In this article, authors Kelly Finnell and Andrew Holmes share their views on when an ESOP is feasible using a case study. ...

A Drop-Dead Plan for the Unprepared In this article, Edward Mendlowitz shares his views regarding the importance of having a buy-sell agreement. He proposes a “drop-dead plan” or method that, while imperfect, addresses how owners can arrive at an initial value that does not necessarily require a Conclusion of Value, especially if the owners are not related. Significantly, Mendlowitz stresses the importance ...

A Note on ESOP Valuation[1] One of the most critical issues regarding valuation is the concept of adequate consideration.  The ESOP trustee cannot pay more than “adequate consideration” for the stock it purchases.[2]   In the context of an ESOP, ERISA defines adequate consideration as the stock’s “fair market value…as determined in good faith by the trustee…”[3]  The proposed Department of Labor regulations ...

Simple Steps to Save Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars By implementing just a few simple steps and procedures, business owners can catch or prevent financial fraud that can have devastating financial and personal consequences. In this article, Chris Hamilton outlines six simple steps business owners can put into practice today. ...

Evolving Accounting Standards for CPAs Wiley author Joanne Flood reviews three significant Accounting Standards Updates (ASU).  First, she reviews ASU 2014–08, issued in April 2014. This ASU focuses on Reporting [for] Discontinued Operations.  This ASU changes the criteria for determining which disposals can be presented as discontinued operations.  In the remaining portion of the article, she summarizes ch ...

Business valuation (BV) liability claims are not as frequent compared to other litigation risks faced by practitioners. On the other hand, there are BV-related liability claims that exist, especially in cases where a valuation report was used to guide financial decisions by businesses, lending services, regulatory agencies, and others, according to Frank Vinluan, in the January 21 issue of FVS News.   ...