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Wolrige Mahon's Valuation and Litigation Support group provides a complete range of expertise in the areas of business valuations and litigation support related to complex financial matters.
Business Valuations
With an experienced team of qualified business valuators, Wolrige Mahon considers both qualitative and quantitative factors in determining the fair market value of a business. We have prepared business valuations and expert opinions for the following purposes:
- Benchmarking. The annual financial statements are only one measure of a company's progress. We prepare periodic business valuations for growth-oriented clients who wish to monitor the progress of the fair market value of their business.
- Estate planning transactions. Business owners often wish to pre-arrange the succession planning for their business through an estate freeze. We prepare valuation reports to ensure that the tax planning is based on a solid foundation with respect to the value of the business.
- Shareholder agreements and transitions. A key element in any shareholder's agreement is the buy-sell mechanism. We prepare business valuations for use in this context, and can provide advice on the structuring of the valuation provisions of the agreement.
- Employee share ownership plans. Some business owners provide the opportunity for key employees or a wider group of employees to have equity participation in the company. We can prepare the periodic valuations of the company required by such arrangements.
- Sale or purchase of a business. The starting-point in the sale of a business is often to obtain a professional view of the value of the company. In conjunction with our Corporate Finance group, we provide valuation assistance with respect to the purchase or sale of a business, including leveraged management buy-outs.
- Corporate reorganizations. Changing times can create the opportunity or the necessity to restructure the respective interests in the businesses in a group. We can determine the valuations of the respective business segments that are required for such a reorganization.
- Fair value for financial reporting. Recent accounting standards make increasing use of fair value determinations for purposes of external financial reporting. We prepare reports quantifying the fair value of intangible assets (for example in the allocation of purchase price with respect an acquired company) or assessing potential impairment of goodwill.
Litigation Support
Our team brings an in-depth understanding of the technical aspects of finance, accounting and taxation, together with years of combined experience on a wide range of litigation support matters, in issues such as the following:
- Shareholder disputes. We provide opinion on the fair value of the company or of minority shareholdings, whether for a dissenting shareholder group, an oppressed shareholder or for the corporation itself.
- Matrimonial disputes. We assist clients or counsel with valuations in the context of matrimonial disputes, including valuation of private company shares owned by one or both parties and quantification of the financial capacity of a spouse to make support payments.
- Expropriation losses. We apply detailed careful analysis, examination of relevant market data and assessment of the extent of recovery or exposure, to quantify damages related to loss of goodwill and business disturbances caused by complete or partial expropriations.
- Forensic accounting. We provide thorough investigation of available information, careful analysis of financial data, and provision of clear and unbiased opinions, whether for clarification of the underlying facts of a dispute or in cases of suppression or inflation of income or of assets.
- Accounting principles and auditing standards. We provide counsel with opinion on the application of accounting principles and auditing standards as they apply to matters under litigation and negotiation.
For more information contact Bruce Watson.
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