Forensic Services
The consultants of Clifton Gunderson are practicing accountants, valuation professionals, financial consultants, economists and information technology professionals with years of experience in complex, high-profile litigation and investigations. Our people analyze complex accounting, financial, economic and operating information to isolate key issues, and present it in a way that strengthens the case of your company or your client.
A rapid and informed response is required in fraud and financial investigations to limit the impact, safeguard assets and improve damage control. Whether it's the discovery of accounting errors or irregularities, or the reconstruction of events or data, our forensic financial analysts can assist with internal investigations, data analysis, personnel interviews, electronic data recovery and full litigation support.
Expert Opinion
Clifton Gunderson consultants can provide objective, highly qualified, industry-specific expert opinion testimony and other litigation support services. We have assisted leading law firms, corporations and the Department of Justice, testifying as independent and objective expert witnesses in some of the largest and most complex litigation—both civil and criminal—in the country.
Our consultants have deep, practical, real world experience in a broad range of industries and cases, enabling us to efficiently assist you in developing a technically sound and compelling case.
Accredited, Experienced, Recognized Professionals
Most of our consultants, and all of our firm leaders, have earned professional certifications and designations, including–
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA)
- Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA)
- Accredited Business Valuation (ABV)
- Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
- Certified by the American College of Forensic Examiners (CACFE)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Professional Engineer (PE)
We keep abreast of current issues through leadership positions and active participation in–
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts
- American Society of Appraisers
- National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
In addition, many Clifton Gunderson consultants are involved in state and local legal organizations, or participate in educational activities, speaking engagements, sub-committees and other activities.
Types of Cases
Our case experience includes–
- Antitrust
- Bankruptcy and reorganizations, including Chapter 11 and Chapter 9
- Breach of contract
- Damages, including lost profits and valuations of business interests
- Family law and marital dissolution
- Fraud and SEC investigations
- Intellectual property
- Medicare fraud and abuse
- Service as arbitrators
- Tort claims
Industry Experience
Many Clifton Gunderson partners are qualified to serve as expert witnesses in state and federal jurisdictions. You can utilize their knowledge, experience and strong presentation skills to provide effective testimony on behalf of your clients. Our expert witnesses collectively have more than 100 years experience in various key industries and business scenarios including–
- Construction
- Distribution
- Financial institutions
- Franchising
- Healthcare
- Hi-tech industry
- Life sciences
- Manufacturing
- Mining
- Nonprofit
- Oil & Gas
- Telecommunications
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Investigative Services
Our services include financial and economic investigations and analysis, and expert witness testimony for both civil and criminal commercial litigation. We assist corporations, governmental agencies, nonprofits and corporate counsel with fraud investigations, disputes and litigation.
Effective Controls to Detect and Prevent Fraud
Commercial and nonprofit entities must implement internal controls to detect and prevent fraud. Our forensic accounting consultants and computer forensic specialists can help implement effective internal controls to–
- Identify areas where fraud might exist
- Investigate and provide analysis to detect patterns consistent with fraudulent activities
- Reconstruct events and data
- Recover computer files that may be hidden or lost
- Trace funds and assets
- Preserve evidence
- Identify potential claims for restitution or prosecution
Financial Fraud and Embezzlement
- In financial fraud cases, establishing or disproving the existence of false or misleading statements regarding financial and accounting information, obtaining data from the trail of documents, and the financial harm suffered as a result of the false or misleading statements.
- In embezzlement cases, asset tracing and accounting reconstruction, establishing how the scheme worked and establishing accountability.
Damages Resulting From a Breach or Tort
- Establishing the amount(s) of damages
- Lost profits
- Lost business value
- Losses due to financial fraud for civil and criminal cases
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Computer Forensics
The paper trail is no longer the only path leading to evidence of fraud, embezzlement, intellectual property theft, bribery and a host of other misdeeds. In today's world, investigators must also follow "the digital trail" to track down key documents, gather evidence and analyze critical electronic data stored in all forms and on all media.
Our computer forensics specialists are uniquely qualified in the acquisition, authentication and reconstruction of electronic information. They can help pinpoint exactly what you're looking for, often finding or reconstructing data thought to be deleted or destroyed. Accounting, auditing and business consulting experience means we can also help you make sense of large volumes of data for use in criminal prosecution and defense, civil litigation and internal corporate inquiries.
In all of our relationships with law firms, corporate counselors, government officials and financial professionals, our goal is to ensure the accuracy, integrity and admissibility of digital resources and evidence.
Data Analytics
In today's business environment, more and more information is captured electronically on a myriad of systems. Clifton Gunderson provides advanced data analytics—the process of assembling and evaluating electronic information to identify trends and other pertinent information.
Our data analytics team works with clients to–
- Identify the information necessary to the issue at hand
- Extract the data
- Process and analyze information quickly so that it can be used efficiently
Our team has extensive experience extracting data from many different platforms and works internally with Microsoft Excel, Access, and SQL Server. We also use FTK to evaluate forensic images captured during investigations.
Our capabilities range from accounting systems extracts to data uploads and imaged drive analysis. Many different types of projects can benefit from advanced data analytics. Following are some examples of projects where our services have proven valuable–
- Reconstruct accounting records for a specific purpose for forensic investigations. This can include identifying the impact of a particular product, contract, or outlet.
- Evaluate data to see if there is evidence to support or refute an alleged or suspected bad act in a fraud situation.
- Analyze cash flows with the intent of identifying and projecting future and present value of a business or securities.
- Review technology business processes and records maintenance for audit purposes.
- Identify and extract client data for use in tax assessment and planning.
- Quantify improper amounts charged to oil and gas royalty owners.
- Calculate state retirement benefits through the development of a custom database application.
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Bankruptcy and Reorganization
Clifton Gunderson can assist debtors, banks, lenders, trustees, creditors/creditor's committees, and examiners in bankruptcy, turnaround, and reorganization matters. Our consultants are experienced in managing reorganization for some of the largest and most challenging bankruptcies in the country. Services include–
- Providing financial and operating consulting assistance in reorganizations outside of bankruptcy
- Assisting debtors, unsecured creditor committees or secured lenders in Chapter 11 and Chapter 9 cases
- Establishing control of assets, accounting systems and processes
- Establishing the extent to which loans are secured
- Establishing classes and amounts of unsecured creditors
- Constructing the financial portions of the reorganization plan and testimony regarding feasibility of the plan
- Implementing fresh start accounting, audit and tax assistance to help entities emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy to allocate reorganization value to tangible and intangible assets, and estimate the remaining useful life of assets.
- Analysis of possible preference payments
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Construction Consulting
Construction projects often have potential financial risks for the project owner. Fraudulent pay applications, schedule deficiencies, inefficient labor, substandard materials, bid rigging, and bribery are just a few of the issues that an owner can encounter during a project.
What Risks Does a Construction Audit Address?
Construction audits can help address any or all of the construction cornerstones of cost, schedule and quality – regardless of whether you have a negotiated a GMP (guaranteed maximum price), cost-reimbursement or lump sum contract. Specifically, a Clifton Gunderson construction audit can help answer critical project questions, including–
- Does the bidding process employed on the project provide a competitive and fair process for procuring qualified contractors, subcontractors and other vendors?
- Are subcontractor work scopes and billings consistent with the general contractor's billings to the owner?
- Does the project have a schedule that is workable, makes sense and functions as a real-time management tool for the project?
- Do the owner's and general contractor's processes for managing and monitoring project costs provide timely and useful information?
Dispute Resolution Services
Construction projects can involve large amounts of money and often include disputes. These disputes involve a variety of issues, including changed site conditions, project delays, acceleration and lost productivity.
Whether you are developing a claim, defending a claim, negotiating a claim, or are arbitrating or litigating a claim, Clifton Gunderson can help. Our construction experts have a unique combination of real world construction engineering and accounting experience that enables them to cover virtually all of the bases of a claim—what happened, why it happened, whose fault it was and how it increased job costs.
Clifton Gunderson's construction consulting team has developed insight through numerous clients in a variety of settings, including–
- Schools
- Office Buildings
- Multi-Family Residential Buildings
- Hospitals/Medical Facilities
- Industrial Projects
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