John Gordon is a CPA and a Forensic CPA and runs his own business specializing in forensic accounting services.
Forensic Accounting is the specialty practice area of accounting relating to actual or anticipated disputes or litigation. Forensic accountants use accounting and auditing skills in addition to investigative skills to determine what events actually took place in a financial setting.
“Forensic” means suitable for use in Court, and it is to that standard and potential outcome forensic accountants generally have to work.
Forensic accountants often have to give expert evidence at trial. Engagements relating to civil disputes may fall into several categories:
•Calculating and quantifying losses and economic damages, whether suffered through tort or breach of contract.
•Disagreements relating to company acquisitions, earn outs or breaches of warranties.
•Business valuation.
•Assessing and commenting on the work of other professionals.
•Forensic accountants often assist in professional negligence claims where they are assessing and commenting on the work of other professionals.
Engagements relating to criminal matters typically arise in the aftermath of fraud. They frequently involve the assessment of accounting systems and accounts presentation – in essence assessing if the numbers reflect reality. Forensic accountants may be involved in recovering proceeds of crime and in relation to confiscation proceedings concerning actual or assumed proceeds of crime or money laundering.
Fraud Detection and Fraud Prevention is an area in which my business is particularly focused. Over the past 25 years, I have been involved in uncovering several fraud schemes. Had a Forensic CPA been consulted prior to the frauds being committed, they may have been avoided all together.
