The year 2021 was defined by unexpected economic events; from the GameStop Rebellion to changes in how goodwill cases are handled in Florida, 2021 certainly was an interesting time to be in the valuation profession. Read more >>

In my last Perspective (November 2018), I touched on the importance of why using the “right” level of profit was important when comparing valuations of one’s firm to others on an earnings multiple basis (e.g., 4.2x EBITDA, 3.9x EBIT, etc.). Although there are various levels of profit that firms rely on for quick pricing indications, I focused solely on EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) and EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation & amortization) for the sake of simplicity. Read more >>

Discover the four absolute rules of business valuation and hear the perspective of a veteran valuer on the current state and future of the valuation profession. Read more >>

Learn how tax reform has impacted the world of business valuation and how to navigate key issues facing business appraisers, including how to adjust pre-Tax Act valuation multiples for post-Tax Act business valuations. Read more >>

As a busy business valuation professional, you may not always have the time to attend training events. We’ve compiled the top five tips from recent BVR webinars on the most timely and important topics in the profession. Read more >>

In addition to revisions to existing material and examples, there’s new material on valuing stock options, preferred stock, debt, and startup ventures. Read more >>

The conference sessions were an excellent mix of theory and practice—ideas that you can use in your practice right away. Read more >>

The Delaware Supreme Court recently overturned a 2016 ruling by the Delaware Court of Chancery that arrived at fair value by weighting the results of three valuation techniques equally. The high court's Chief Justice Strine, who once headed the Chancery, found this approach was problematic and used the decision to provide valuation advice to his successor, Chancellor Bouchard, who had overseen the appraisal proceeding. Read more >>

The use of the Delaware block method in Tennessee recently came under attack in a case involving a closely held Nashville, Tenn.-based media company whose controlling shareholders had pursued a squeeze-out merger and later asked the trial court for a judicial appraisal of the dissenting shareholders' interest. Read more >>

A recent bankruptcy-related case in front of the California Court of Appeal raises important questions about how one quantifies the value of a dated piece of art, a film, for which there never was a market in the first place. Read more >>

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 >>

Double dipping is a tricky issue because different states have developed different approaches to it. Valuators specializing in divorce issues must know the controlling case law in the state in which they practice. A recent decision by the Washington state Court of Appeals clarifies its state's analytical framework in a case featuring a successful management consulting business the husband had set up and grown during the marriage. Read more >>

In a statutory appraisal action, the Delaware Court of Chancery recently found the deal price did not reflect fair value because the sales process was suboptimal. Certain other methods the parties' experts used also were inadequate to the task, the court said. 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 >>

U.S. Tax Court Judge David Laro frequently has cautioned experts not to give in to hiring attorneys who want to shape the appraisal. Although federal and state discovery rules offer some protection for attorney-expert communication, there is a risk of exposure and with it a risk of damage to the expert’s work product and reputation. A recent Section 1031 case, which Judge Laro handled, illustrates what happens when the communication is discovered. 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 >>

Appraisers working on litigated disputes face special challenges. Several workshops at the recent AICPA conference in Nashville provided insights and survival tips that benefit both the seasoned financial expert witness and the upstart. Read more >>

A drawn-out damages case in which a startup compression sportswear company sued the defendant "private label" manufacturer over an abandoned licensing deal promised to make the plaintiff rich but ultimately ended with nominal damages. Read more >>

A recent ESOP decision involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and engaging in a prohibited transaction turned on whether the ESOP trustee’s financial advisor had performed proper due diligence and issued defensible fairness and valuation analyses. Read more >>

The plaintiff, representing the debtor enterprises, sued executives of related family-run consumer lending and retail businesses that had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy over allegedly fraudulent transfers. Read more >>