Lawyer in The Usa

Expert Witnessing in Forensic Accounting: A Handbook for Lawyers and Accountants

Description

From opposing the local CPA to tackling the Big Five - Everything you need to know about accounting in the courtroomWith the recent boom in litigation and malpractice charges concerning tax, accounting, financial litigation, and fraud disputes, more and more accounting professionals are being hired as expert witnesses. Yet, few lawyers have a full understanding of what accountants can contribute to their cases. And few accountants are familiar enough with the legal system to recognize everything they have to offer as an expert witness. In turn, many relevant issues are missed and financial disputes are often settled with unfavorable outcomes.Conceived and written in the trenches, Expert Witnessing in Forensic Accounting: A Handbook for Lawyers and Accountants candidly shows how to be successful in the courtroom through the hands-on experiences of both a certified public accountant and a trial attorney. Zeph Telpner and Michael Mostek guide you through the entire judicial process - revealing their own and others' mistakes and triumphs along the way and presenting guidelines for everything from choosing an accountant to analyzing the opposing expert's deposition.The law of civil procedure, evidence, expert opinions, trial procedure, and the presentation of expert testimony are a mystery to many accountants and even some lawyers. This straightforward book pulls together all the essential information on the topic. Providing numerous case studies, annotated court documents, expert witness reports, and an actual trial transcript of an expert's testimony, Expert Witnessing in Forensic Accounting: A Handbook for Lawyers and Accountants helps you discover the relevant issues and facts needed to win the dispute.LAWYERS:Know how and when to choose and work with the right forensic accountantDetermine whether to hire your forensic accountant as a consultant or an expert witnessDecide how early to bring the accounting expert in on the caseDiscover everything that forensic accountants can accomplish for youMatch the accounting expert with the job to be doneHelp the accountant do a superior job in discoveryUse the forensic accountant to the greatest benefitAsk the right questions during direct and cross-examinationBuild a successful working relationship with the forensic accountantACCOUNTANTS:Learn how to best advise lawyers during discovery and litigationDiscover the procedural and evidentiary rules that most often affect forensic accountant specialistsKnow how to respond and what to expect while you're on the witness standSuccessfully rebut the opinions of the opposing expert accountantPerform superior services in discovery, accounting guidance, and writing expert reportsKnow how to write a job engagement letter and negotiate feesSee how an expert supported the valuation of a particular business in accordance with judicial requirements Build a successful working relationship with the lawyer

Reviews

Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2008-03-11
Summary: "Quite pleasing"

Good business person, very prompt shipping and product was as advertised. Quite pleased and would definitely purchase again from this seller.

---

Rating: 2 / 5
Date: 2003-07-17
Summary: "Waste 'O Money"

This book is absolutely terrible. Forget the fact that the authors offend every woman by consistently referring to a potential forensic accountant as "he". (Yes, there are women doing this...me, for example.) Forget that their sample letters start out addressed to "gentlemen". (Certainly no women run companies or ever need forensic accounting services, do they?)

All the reasons why I dislike this book:
1. See information above
2. Really, super boring
3. Not very good logical flow throughout the chapters.
4. Drawn out, extremely boring examples
5. Very "old school" examples that don't keep up with the times
6. Gave me virtually no new information. (One would think this type of book would be written to help both the wanna-be's and the already-are's.)
7. Very little substance behind the information.
8. Grammar errors...Where's your editor? And don't you mention in the book that good grammar is key when writing reports?

I could go on and on. I've said enough. Would love to get rid of my copy. Wanna buy it?

---

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2003-07-07
Summary: "..."

Written specifically for accountants who wish to become expert witnesses for accounting matters and for the lawyers who wish to use them effectively "Expert Witnessing in Forensic Accounting" provides a solid base on which to build. The book provides well-reasoned advice to teach the ins and outs of expert witnessing that is specifically oriented toward accounting.

Some of the questions answered in this book include:
Do I need the expert witness to be a CPA?
What other experts might be better for a particular case?
How do I determine the best expert for my needs?
How does the expert prepare and what legal documents are needed?
How does the relationship with the lawyer and client affect attorney-client privilege?
How does the relationship affect the work product?
How do you determine the significant issue?
How do you explain accounting procedures to non-technical jury members?

"Expert Witnessing in Forensic Accounting" covers it all from the theoretical underpinnings of things like qualifying and testifying as an expert witness to the practical aspects of things like engagement letters and preparation for testifying. While most accounting or litigation texts have a section or two on the use of a forensic accountant as an expert witness, I have seen none that cover it as extensively as this text. For the accountant trying to get into forensic accounting, for the lawyer wishing to make better use of a forensic accountant, or for either seeking to improve their professional recognition in this area this is a highly recommended read.