It was another busy year in 2016 for law firm M&As, according to a release from Altman Weil, which tracks this activity. BVR has a new installment in its series of What It’s Worth special reports: What It's Worth: Law Firm Value. This will help you better understand the special considerations when valuing a firm of this kind. Read more >>

The NYSSCPA sponsored the Marijuana Symposium: Business, Tax and Legal Implications, which included a discussion on the nuances of valuing a firm in this challenging industry. Read more >>

The issues under consideration include the definition of report and communication of assignment results. There’s also a proposed revision of the definition of appraisal review, as well as splitting the existing Standard 3 into two standards. Read more >>

A blue-ribbon panel of experts review the primary DLOM methods and reveal new survey data on which methods valuators rely on most. Read more >>

IRS and Treasury officials on the hearing panel felt compelled to make a few remarks in response to the strong concerns of valuation experts, attorneys, wealth planners, and family business owners who testified. Read more >>

A few takeaways from Business Valuation in an Upside Down World, a two-day event co-sponsored by the Southeast Chapter of Business Appraisers (SECBA) and the International Association of Consultants, Valuators and Analysts (IACVA). Read more >>

Annette Stalker (Stalker Forensics) has been appointed as chair for the AICPA’s Forensic and Valuation Services Executive Committee; Michael Fahlman (Berkeley Research Group LLC) will chair the Forensic and Litigation Services Committee; and Nathan DiNatale (SC&H LLC) will assume the chair for the Business Valuations Committee. Read more >>

Is there a consensus yet on the method to use for estimating a discount for lack of marketability (DLOM)? Find out by taking a short survey. Read more >>

IBISWorld and RMA are the two sources valuation experts cite most for industry research, according to a BVR exclusive survey. Read more >>

Over the past week, over 100 new comments have been submitted to the IRS about the controversial proposed Section 2704 regs designed to rein in estate tax valuations. That brings the total comments to almost 200, but it's hoped that many more will come in before the due date of November 2. Read more >>

All six valuation disciplines were put on the "stand" and cross-examined by an attorney. It demonstrated that even the best valuation report can get skewered in court. Read more >>

At the ASA Advanced Business Valuation Conference last week in Boca Raton, Fla., valuation practitioners told us that they are seeing an increase in valuation engagements triggered by the proposed Section 2704 regulations. They expect the increased business to gain steam as the regs continue to sink in with attorneys, wealth planners, and clients. Read more >>

Well-crafted comments can change the course of the controversial proposed IRC Section 2704 regs designed to curb estate valuation discounts. There's a concern that, if these regs are finalized as proposed, the federal government will go after valuation discounts in other contexts. Comments are due by November 2, and there's a public hearing in Washington on December 1. Read more >>

College students from across the country will compete in the upcoming Business Valuation Challenge hosted by Georgia State University. There are 24 first-come-first-serve slots, and registrations are due September 15. BV firms can sponsor students, and it's a great place for you to scope out new talent. Read more >>

The Treasury has released long-awaited proposed IRC Section 2704 regulations designed to curb estate valuation discounts. It appears that the proposed regulations eliminate almost all minority discounts for closely held entity interests, including operating businesses owned by a family. The proposed regs have triggered a strong response from the valuation community, legal profession, and others. Read more >>

A number of leading valuation experts have called for the profession to speak with one voice and eliminate the confusion over the use of discounts. One valuation expert offers up some nomenclature and—more importantly—a framework that he hopes will help with this thorny issue. Read more >>

The Brexit vote reinforces the need for internal consistency between the elements of cost of capital and the current economic environment, according to leading global valuation experts and finance professors. Also, there may be a “new normal” in terms of interest rates, risk premiums, and growth. Read more >>

You now have until August 24 to comment on two important exposure drafts that relate to the ongoing fair value quality initiative (FVQI) designed to improve financial reporting valuations for U.S. publicly traded companies. Read more >>

If the jury had sided with the plaintiff in the Led Zeppelin "Stairway to Heaven" case, it would have had to carve out the value of the riff that only forms part of the song. BVWire asked Michael Pellegrino (Pellegrino & Associates), a valuation expert (and musician) who specializes in intellectual property, for some insights into some of the thoughts behind how this would have been determined Read more >>