Our Value Drivers
Value 1.
Technical Knowledge and Expertise.
Our clients benefit from our technical knowledge and training shaped by rigorous professional and ethics standards. We possess essential credentials signifying years of technical expertise and continuing education. As a result, our clients have the peace of mind knowing that the quality of our work is governed by the required technical and ethics standards associated with the following accounting, financial, and business valuation credentials:
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Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in California, New York and the District of Columbia
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Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
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Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) issued by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts
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Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) issued by the AICPA
From a client who retained us to investigate a suspected fraud and prepare the Proof of Loss:
"Chris has the unique ability to communicate clearly the scope and purpose of her work without losing sight of the people and the details. She was professional, responsive, and always willing to take the time to answer questions. She was also responsible for meeting a difficult deadline which highlighted her integrity and expertise in the field of forensic accounting."
From an attorney who attended a CLE program we developed and presented:
"Christine, thank you for your excellent CEB webinar on Accounting Statements for Lawyers. I got an JD and MBA at UC Berkley, which means I had to slog through a number of accounting courses. Your 1hr webinar did a better job of teaching useful information for non-accountants than all those courses combined."
Value 2.
Judicious Analytical Skills.
Analytical skills are commonly defined as a combination of logical reasoning, critical thinking, communication, research, data analysis and creativity. In dispute resolution and litigation, analytical skills mean so much more. They include not only analyzing numbers, but also surveying the situation at hand, putting oneself in the opposing party’s shoes, visualizing their likely rebuttal, and being prepared to resolutely defend one’s opinions.
Our firm reflects years of battle-tested analytical ability including hitting home runs during direct examination and defeating cross-examination tactics.
From an attorney who retained us as the damages expert for the plaintiff:
"We hired Chris on very short notice as our forensic accounting expert for the punitive damages phase of a hotly contested trial. She was great to work with, quickly mastered the facts, and held up very well to aggressive cross-examination. Chris is also quick on her feet: when the judge ruled that she could not rely on certain evidence, without leaving the stand she came up with another, unimpeachable way to make the same point without reference to the excluded evidence."
From an attorney who retained us as the damages expert for the cross-complainant:
"Christine Davis is my first choice whenever I need a forensic CPA to testify about damages, auditing or accounting practices, or business
valuation. Chris helped me win a large damages award in a jury trial a few years back. She works quickly and efficiently, and she stands
up brilliantly in both depositions and at trial. I recommend Chris without reservation or qualification for even the most complicated forensic accounting and damages cases."
Value 3.
Compelling Storyteller.
Analytical skills, while essential for quantifying damages and arriving at supportable findings, are not enough on their own to persuade. For financial evidence to jump off the page, it must be humanized. Numbers take on greater meaning when the quantitative analysis solidifies the client’s story in an undeniable way.
At a trial where the Plaintiff had sought lost profits arising from a breach of contract claim, we calculated lost profits damages and explained to the jury that the Plaintiff suffered lost profits damages of $4 million over a 4.5-year period. While it was imperative that the calculations were accurate, it was equally essential that causation was established.
With no separate causation expert on the case, we skillfully weaved certain key facts into our damages testimony, connecting the dots among critical dates, the defendants’ actions, and the subsequent and unmistakable decline in the Plaintiff’s profits. At the opportune moments, we reiterated that there were no external factors to blame for the lost profits, and we attentively reminded the jury of prior testimony about the Plaintiff’s valiant efforts to mitigate damages.
We offered rebuttal testimony giving us further opportunity to solidify the Plaintiff’s story of economic harm, and explain, using alternative methods, why the value of the damages we calculated would indeed make the Plaintiff whole. Furthermore, we confidently debunked certain claims made by the opposing damages expert. Using the opposing damages expert’s own demonstrative exhibits to reveal the flaws in his opinions, we further crystallized the validity of our calculated value of lost profits damages.
Along the way, the jury received a concise but lucid education on accounting and economic concepts, such as the difference between fixed and variable costs, the significance of a discount rate in arriving at present value, the importance of using a reasonable growth rate, and the practical application of regression analysis to forecast revenue and expenses.
The jury found for the Plaintiff and awarded the full amount of damages we calculated and presented at trial.
From an attorney who retained us as the accounting and damages expert for the defendant:
"I first worked with Christine Davis in 2014, in a breach of contract case I was defending. Because of her professionalism, patience, attention to detail, and thorough analyses, I've followed her since and have looked to her first in every other case in which I've needed a forensic accounting expert. All of our civil litigation matters together have been tough cases, and Christine's contributions have helped result in big wins. My clients considered her invaluable, and judges praised her clarity and diligence."
Value 4.
Authentic. Credible. Trustworthy.
As financial experts, a large part of our job is to measure the economic harm from unfulfilled transactions, failed agreements, or tortious conduct. We wish we could also measure the emotional toll of being involved in a dispute, but that is not possible. What we can and will do is interpret and present financial evidence as we see them, in the most just and fair way, for order and truth to prevail.
From leadership expert Carol Isozaki, Founder and President of Strategic Brand Intelligence:
"'It’s my pleasure, truly,' is often something Chris will say, and she means it.
Chris is one of the most authentic, quality individuals you’ll ever meet. As a leader, she’s compassionate, generous with her time, yet also very empowered and impactful. She artfully builds relationships and achieves results even under the most adverse of conditions through her approach, rooted in a tremendous appreciation for relationships, ongoing dialogue, and her fierce ownership for achieving remarkable outcomes without leaving an unwelcomed wake behind. You’ll be quick to trust her, and she’ll provide ongoing peace of mind that that trust was well-placed as she engages and leads you in a shared journey....she leaves a wonderful, indelible imprint."