At the close of August 2014, $1.1 trillion passed through American hands in M&A deals, while the global tally was $2.4 trillion. Those totals mark the highest year-to-date volume since 2007. While that’s great for the industry, not all these deals ended happily. When anticipated value doesn’t materialize after the deal is done, disputes can arise, usually involving future payouts related to performance. While these disputes normally go before a judge experienced in such matters, some transaction agreements require the matter be heard by an accounting expert. The idea behind this change is that a neutral accountant will have…