• Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Unimpeachable Substance and Principles

    March 11, 2026

    Business Valuation Standards and the Substance and Principles of USPAP 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…

  • Practice Management - QuickRead Top Story

    Should AI be Disclosed?

    February 13, 2025

    Recognize Ethical and Professional Standards of Using AI AI is pervasive and promises to fundamentally transform business operations, education, and daily life. However, functional insights bridging the gap between AI and our industry have been lacking. The authors share their views on the ethical and professional standards implicated from the use of AI in forensics and valuation engagements. This article explores the need for, or lack thereof, to disclose the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the fields of business valuation and financial forensics. AI is pervasive and promises to fundamentally transform business operations, education, and daily life. However,…

  • QuickPress

    Coalition Launched to Protect Professional Licensing

    September 25, 2019

    In the wake of various state deregulatory proposals that threaten to have an adverse effect on the CPA profession, the AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) have helped found a new coalition of advanced professions focused on educating policymakers and the public about the importance of rigorous professional licensing standards. To read the full article in Journal of Accountancy, click: Coalition Launched to Protect Professional Licensing.

  • Litigation Consulting - QuickRead Top Story

    Providing Effective Litigation Services (Part 2 of 4)

    July 23, 2013

    Professional accounting valuation accrediting standards for effective litigation In this second part of his four-part series, Mark Shirley, CPA/ABV, CVA, MAFF, CFE, focuses on complicated professional standards. Here, the article examines AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct and Statement on Standards for Consulting Services (SSCS), which sets forth the scope and limitations of  practice. While the AICPA has not promulgated litigation reporting standards, it has incorporated a judicial exception in SSVS and issued at least two non-authoritative Consulting Services Practice Aids addressing effective litigation services.

  • Practice Management - QuickRead Featured

    Why Using a Mentor is Key to Building the Value of Your Firm’s Work

    August 30, 2012

    Good Mentors Not Only Catch Errors, but Speed Professional Development, Provide Perspective, and Help Build Your Company Brand The mentoring process is invaluable, explains Baria Jaroudi. That’s not simply because it provides a proofread and detail check, or even because it strengthens professional development and solicits team expertise and new perspectives. Perhaps most importantly, strong mentoring helps firms deliver the sort of work that builds a company’s brand, attracts new business, and defends the value of analyst work in a world of increasing automation.

  • Expert Witness - QuickRead Top Story

    Insufficient Evidence and Defensible Opinions

    August 29, 2012

    Avoid Hypotheticals. But Remember: Experienced Experts Recognize that Limited Evidence Will Often Support a More Limited Opinion Michael Kaplan explains how limited evidence can still support a limited opinion. Read about a valuator who had access to an insufficient number of documents and a hard cutoff date to complete a valuation by. Since the valuation was prepared in a manner that meets the professional standard of care, was generally in compliance with business valuation standards, and the expert’s approach and methodology was consistent with industry practice, the valuation stood up in court.