A forensic accountancy eye for detail

Our forensic accounting team are highly experienced in helping our clients to resolve their disputes at an early stage. Some of the ways we can support you include:

• Providing advice and assistance on quantifiable losses at an early stage, usually in the form of legally privileged, confidential advice
• Assisting in negotiation and mediation by offering sensible, pragmatic advice, and providing advocacy services where appropriate in formal negotiation processes.

We can also help where a contract requires an expert determination. As members of the ICAEW Presidents’ Appointment Scheme, we know how to run cost-efficient and successful expert determination processes. We also help clients to draft submissions and in negotiating the right outcome.

We uphold the highest levels of professionalism and rigour, and the breadth of expertise across the Azets group allows us to offer specialist reports and testimony across a range of cases and scenarios.

Commercial proceedings

In commercial proceedings, we assess and report to the Court on accounting and quantum issues relating to:

• Loss of profits and consequential loss
• Partnership and shareholder disputes
• Breach of warranty claims
• Business interruption (and associated insurance claims)
• Product liability/recall
• Directors’ breach of fiduciary duties
• Fraudulent and wrongful trading
• Mortgage disputes
• Commercial agency disputes
• Professional negligence
• Clinical negligence claims
• Personal injury claims

Divorce proceedings

The division of assets in divorce proceedings can be emotional and complex.
Our forensic accounting team has extensive experience in dealing with these difficult and sensitive cases. We use our expertise to value business assets such as shareholdings in private companies, and to identify how the funds may be extracted from the business. We also work with our tax colleagues to ensure we thoroughly address all implications.

Our forensic team have prepared a significant number of FPR compliant expert reports and have given evidence in court in relation to:

• Share valuation
• Company Liquidity
• Tax consequences
• Maintainable earnings assessments

Criminal proceedings and proceeds of crime

Our forensic accounting team regularly prepare, or review the accuracy and reasonableness of, detailed financial analyses created to support criminal prosecutions. We have experience across a number of offences including theft, fraud, wrongful trading, money laundering and tax evasion. Our reports are always impartial, clear and cost effective. We act for both prosecution and defence.

We also assist in Proceeds of Crime (POCA) hearings. Through analysis of volumes of financial records, we can help the Court in determining the correct sum for confiscation. We bring efficiency, clarity and integrity to every case.

We agree to work at the rates mandated by the Legal Services Commission wherever appropriate.

Our forensic accountancy team are experienced in conducting fraud investigations of all sizes, as well as investigating failures of accounting controls. Whether you think that your business has been subject to fraud committed by an employee or compromised by a third party, we can help. This includes instances of cyber-crime.

All our investigations are conducted in a confidential and sensitive manner, and we ensure the highest standards of evidence handling in the case of potential criminal proceedings. We work closely with our clients’ legal advisors to ensure a tightly focused investigation covered by legal privilege protection and draw on computer forensic technology specialists where required.

As well as providing factual investigation reports to our clients and the necessary authorities, we help you understand how to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. By uncovering any weaknesses in your system that allowed the fraud to take place and assisting you with measures such as risk reviews and staff training, we leave you safer and stronger than before.

Our dedicated business and asset valuation team has decades of experience providing a range of valuations. We work with clients of all types including global groups, SMEs, private clients, trustees and lawyers, tailoring our budget and approach to every project.

In respect of intangible asset valuations for financial reporting/business combination purposes we offer free scoping consultations and pre-agreed fixed pricing per Cash Generating Unit.

Trustees are required to make an objective assessment of the employer's financial position and prospects and assess the ability of the employer to fund scheme benefits on an ongoing basis. This can be a contentious, onerous task.

Our team are on hand to help, providing independent employer covenant assessments that are cost effective, clear and compliant with regulatory best practice.

As well as performing assessments to underpin trustees’ selection of appropriate actuarial assumptions, we can offer guidance in their funding negotiations with employers and support your consideration of reasonably affordable contributions under the Pension Regulator’s guidance.

We also consider the impact of corporate changes on an employer covenant and advise trustees on the most appropriate mitigating actions.

Whatever your employer covenant needs, our approach will be pragmatic, realistic and straightforward.