• Practice Management - QuickRead Featured

    Promote Opportunity

    Demonstrate Leadership to Get Ahead Training leaders means developing a partnership between the employer and employees. This involves both bottom line and business metrics, as well as behavioral and team building skills. The issues related to soft skills such as behavioral and team-building skills are explored in depth in Mike Gregory’s book, The Servant Manager, 203 tips from the best places to work in America. This article introduces some of the concepts from this book and a corresponding video series.

  • Case Law - QuickRead Featured - Valuation/Appraisal

    Estate of Giustina v. Commissioner

    Tax Controversy Insights In matters argued before the U.S. Tax Court, valuation professionals are frequently asked to provide opinions related to the value of closely held businesses and of fractional ownership interests in closely held businesses. This discussion relates to a recent appeal of a U.S. Tax Court decision involving such valuation issues. The case in question is Natale B. Giustina v. Commissioner. In this case, the Tax Court’s selection of the method for valuing a fractional ownership interest in a closely held business was appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Appeals Court…

  • QuickPress - Valuation/Appraisal

    Unicorn Valuations: What’s Obvious Isn’t Real, and What’s Real Isn’t Obvious

    Unicorn valuations are not directly comparable to public company valuations.  Travis Harms, leader of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, looks at how the numbers could potentially be misleading. To read more about the results of this report in the Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog, click: Unicorn Valuations: What’s Obvious Isn’t Real, and What’s Real Isn’t Obvious.  This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog.  It is reprinted with permission.  To subscribe to the blog, visit: http://mercercapital.com/category/financialreportingblog/.

  • Practice Management - QuickPress

    The Return of Zero-Base Budgeting

    Is Zero-Base Budgeting (ZBB) making a comeback and will it stick around this time?  Matt Fitzpatrick and Kyle Hawke for McKinsey, examine five key elements of success and share their tips for a new beginning. To find out more on the McKinsey and Company’s article, click: The return of zero-base budgeting.

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Featured - Valuation/Appraisal

    Treatment of Selling/Employee Shareholder

    Transition Period Payments After a Business Acquisition Owner’s of closely held businesses will usually be required to remain active in the business after the same is sold. This article examines two key questions related to such post-transaction transition payments: (1) how much should the buyer pay to the sellers for these transition period services, and (2) how should these transition period payments be structured?

  • Healthcare - QuickRead Featured - QuickRead Top Story

    The Utilization of the Market Approach

    In Appraising Outpatient Enterprises Healthcare related outpatient enterprises provide services that do not require hospital admission and may be performed outside the premises of a hospital. Similar to valuation of any business, valuations of outpatient enterprises should include consideration of the three general approaches to valuation (i.e., the income approach, the market approach, and the asset/cost approach). The specific valuation methods selected under each engagement will be guided by the facts and circumstances surrounding the hypothetical transaction of the subject property interest (e.g., availability of data, nature of the current transactional marketplace). This article focuses on utilizing a market approach…

  • QuickPress - Valuation/Appraisal

    Look Before You Leap: Evaluating a Section 83(b) Election

    Do you and your employees know how to get the most tax savings when choosing a benefit election?  Sujan Rajbhandary, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, discusses an IRC Section 83(b) election and what’s considered in making this choice. To read more about the results of this report in the Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog, click: Look Before You Leap: Evaluating a Section 83(b) Election.  This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog.  It is reprinted with permission.  To subscribe to the blog, visit: http://mercercapital.com/category/financialreportingblog/.

  • Practice Management - QuickPress

    Moving from CFO to CEO: A Half Brainer

    Is transitioning into the CEO position all in your head?  Or are there many intricacies involved you may not have thought of?  Author David McCann for CFO Publishing, looks at Gary Burnison to share his views and his compelling narrative on the topic. To find out more on the CFO’s article, click: Moving from CFO to CEO: A Half Brainer.

  • Practice Management - QuickPress

    Going Mobile

    Are you tired of the office?  Do you pine for the day you’ll have more time to see the country?  Well, Rod Burkert and his wife Amy have it figured out.  Cheryl Meyer, freelance writer, interviews the Burkerts to find out how they’ve made going mobile work for them. To find out more on the Journal of Accountancy’s article, click: Going mobile.

  • Practice Management - QuickRead Featured

    Communicating Effectively with Others

    Recognizing How a Position-Based Perspective Limits Communication The topic of communication, diversity, and perspective may initially seem like basic common sense. However, exploring how you and others look at things through our own lenses based on personal experiences shapes how we interact with others. In this article, the author shares his views on what limits communication and what it takes to effectively communicate with others.

  • Financial Forensics - QuickRead Featured

    Terms of Art

    Understanding the Language of Chapter 11 Cramdown This article will examine terms of art used in a Chapter 11 cramdown. These terms go hand in hand during a contested or cramdown hearing. The court will work to assure that the bankruptcy definition of these terms is met before confirming a plan. Any expert expecting to testify at a cramdown hearing should have a working knowledge of their meaning.

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Featured - QuickRead Top Story

    Lost Profits: The Reasonable Certainty Standards and the Modern New Business Rule

    While the vast majority of jurisdictions have moved away from the new business rule and adopted the modern new business rule, by which new/unestablished businesses can recover damages, such adoption does not diminish the requirements under the reasonable certainty standard. Given the lack of historical financial performance data and under the lens of the reasonable certainty standard, estimates of lost profits damages to new/unestablished businesses are subject to a higher level of scrutiny. This article focuses on new/unestablished businesses and the importance of post-incident business-specific data/facts to isolate the effects of the disputed event, and to establish a measure of…

  • QuickPress - Valuation/Appraisal

    Equity-Based Compensation: Are Non-GAAP Earnings Misleading?

    Stock-based compensation is used by companies of all shapes and sizes.  Travis W. Harms, leader of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, explains from a valuation standpoint, the importance of measuring its fair value. To read more about the results of this report in the Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog, click: Equity-Based Compensation: Are Non-GAAP Earnings Misleading?. This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog.  It is reprinted with permission.  To subscribe to the blog, visit: http://mercercapital.com/category/financialreportingblog/.

  • Practice Management - QuickPress

    Pricing Models For Financial Advisors and The Power Of “Free” Financial Planning

    Are you looking for new ways to evolve your own financial planning business?  Michael Kitces, Partner and Director of Research for Pinnacle Advisory Group, discusses the innovative and inspiring ideas found in Chris Anderson’s book, “Free: The Future of a Radical Price”. To find out more on the Nerd’s Eye View article, click: Freemium Pricing Models For Financial Advisors | Kitces.com.

  • Practice Management - QuickRead Featured

    Why a High-Performance Website May be Your Firm’s Greatest Asset

    For those of us who spent much of our careers in the old professional services marketplace, it’s all too easy to think of our firm websites as an afterthought–something you have to have in today’s world, but not a priority. A growing body of research demonstrates, however, that this couldn’t be further from the truth. This article looks at recent research on the matter and suggests that a website may well be the most important asset of a firm.

  • Accounting - QuickPress

    An Overview of Personal Goodwill

    Calculating appropriate goodwill can create significant savings to a taxpayer.  Lucas M. Parris, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, describes the existence of personal goodwill apart from corporate goodwill. To read more about the results of this report in the Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog, click: An Overview of Personal Goodwill. This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog. It is reprinted with permission. To subscribe to the blog, visit http://mercercapital.com/category/financialreportingblog/.