Forensic Services

In today’s litigious society, disputes culminating in lawsuits are inevitable.  Economic damages are often awarded to make injured parties financially whole, and in some cases, that appears to be cut and dried.  However, supportable economic damage assessments that withstand the trier of fact’s (judge or jury) scrutiny are derived from complex calculations performed by third-party…

It’s easier and less expensive to prevent corporate fraud and white-collar crime than to recover from it, or defend against it, after the fact. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) 2020 Report to the Nations, organizations lose an average of five percent of their annual revenue to fraud each year. So, although…

The world is slowly returning to some sense of normalcy, travel is resuming, kids are heading back to the classroom, and retailers, restaurants, and cultural arts centers are greeting us (and our pocketbooks) with open arms. While COVID-19 may have brought many of us a new, or renewed, passion for banana bread and sourdough, for…

The uncertain economic environment during the COVID-19 pandemic has made business valuation practitioners questioning the more historically utilized inputs. Many companies have experienced unforeseen growth or decline, depending on the industry and other unique attributes of those companies. The pandemic has enhanced the focus of the risks associated with cash flow realization, the factors affecting…

The practice of “working from home” has been around for years. However, the pandemic forced more companies to adopt remote work on a scale never seen before, which turned out to be a hit with many employees. With the new remote-focused workforce here to stay, some of the risks companies are leaving themselves open to…

Acquiring an accretive business is one way business owners can grow their companies and expand their wallet share. A focused M&A strategy can enable a profitable company to achieve explosive growth and enter new geographic markets/customer segments more expeditiously in today’s global environment. However, developing and implementing a merger or acquisition strategy is often a…

Jeffrey Baresciano, CPA, CFF, ABV, CVA, Director of Mercadien’s Forensic & Litigation Support Services Group, was featured in the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) CPA Now blog. His article entitled, “The Right Valuation Approaches During Times of Uncertainty”, discusses how important it is to ensure that the entire story of a closely held…

Wrongful termination litigation tends to increase during economic uncertainty, following company-wide layoffs and reductions in work force. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Forensic accountants are often retained to provide economic damages assessments related to claims involving allegations of wrongful termination. Mercadien’s Forensic & Litigation Support Services Group has substantial experience evaluating these claims, which…

Interviewing in a virtual environment can be a challenge to say the least. Regardless of whether the interview is human resources-focused or for investigative purposes, the challenges are similar and often include unpredictable technical failures, security and privacy concerns, issues with sharing documents and exhibits, limitations in assessing demeanor, body language and credibility, and more.…

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have manifested in new ways of working virtually, historic unemployment levels, increased divorce rates, and many other evolving ways.[1] Closely held businesses have experienced unforeseen profitability growth or decline depending on the industry and other unique attributes of a specific company. In valuing a privately held company, the COVID-19…