Marital Dissolution / Divorce Consultants: 11

Arthur B. Kagan, FSA, EA, is one of the most qualified Actuaries and Pension Plan consultants in the country. In his over 40 year career, he has helped thousands of plan sponsors with the management of their company’s retirement plans, as well as hundreds of thousands of plan participants with their pension benefits. 

Mr. Kagan served as the President and sole owner of a third party administration (TPA) and actuarial consulting firm for 26 years serving 650 plans;  Previously, he was president and partner of a TPA and actuarial firm serving 1400 plans. He is fully credentialed in actuarial valuations, plan funding, and present value calculations:

Mr. Kagan serves large, mid-size, and small plans covering all industries and all employer types.  He specialize in all aspects of:

Retirement Plans Actuarial, Actuary Compliance Audits Plan Funding Mortaility Tables

Employee Claims Valuations Contributions  Plan investment Contracts Life Expectancy calculations ERISA

 Mr. Kagan has presented many seminars on recent developments in pension plan industry and on creative plan design to the Desert Estate Planning Council, California CPA Society, AXA Advisors, and various financial advisory and CPA firms.  He has also presented seminars on Life Insurance in Qualified Retirement Plans to Financial Planning Association of Los Angeles.   

      

Marguerita M. Cheng, CFP®, CRPC®, RICP®, CDFA™, Chief Executive Officer at Blue Ocean Global Wealth, is a Certified Financial Planning Expert with 18 years of experience. Prior to co-founding Blue Ocean Global Wealth, she was a Financial Advisor at Ameriprise Financial and an Analyst and Editor at Towa Securities in Tokyo, Japan. Ms. Cheng is a past spokesperson for the AARP Financial Freedom Campaign and a regular columnist for Investopedia & Kiplinger. She is a CFP® professional, a Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM, a Retirement Income Certified Professional® and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. As a Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) Ambassador, Ms. Cheng helps educate the public, policy makers, and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning. She served on the Financial Planning Association (FPA) National Board of Directors from 2013 – 2015 and is a past president of the Financial Planning Association of the National Capital Area (FPA NCA). 

Marguerita Cheng CNBC Interview on Social Security

Awards and Honors - Ms. Cheng is a recipient of the Ameriprise Financial Presidential Award for Quality of Advice and the prestigious Japanese Monbukagakusho Scholarship. In 2017, she was named the #3 Most Influential Financial Advisor in the Investopedia Top 100, a Woman to Watch by InvestmentNews, and a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE®) by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC).

Litigation Support - Ms. Cheng serves as a Women’s Initiative (WIN) Advocate and subject matter expert for CFP Board, contributing to the development of examination questions for the CFP® Certification Examination. She also volunteers for CFP Board Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (DEC) hearings. Services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant include financial due diligence, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Litigation Expertise:

Financial Planning Issues Social Security Elder Financial Abuse

Financial Planner Standard of Care Financial Planner Code of Ethics Investor Rights

BTI Appraisal is a broad-based appraisal company which provides a consistently high level of Real Estate Appraisals, Business Valuations, and Machinery and Equipment Appraisals for Business, Professional, Public and Private Sectors. When you choose BTI Appraisal, you benefit from a strong tradition of experience and accuracy. 

A corporate philosophy stressing efficiency and attentive service has made BTI a leader among independent appraisers. They are proud of our reputation for stability, responsiveness, and accomplishment in and out of the courtroom. At BTI, their seasoned staff of success-oriented professionals treats each assignment with precise attention to detail, providing needed research and responsive service on a wide range of appraisal needs.

Appraisal Services:

• Real Estate:  Valuation, Research, and  Technical Capabilities from homes to high rise office buildings of all sizes and in most locations. BTI can determine value for either “as is” or “as proposed” construction as well as Market Analysis and Feasibility Studies, Construction Defects, Lost Profits Analysis, Property Tax Reductions, Lack of Disclosure or Misrepresentation
• Personal Property: Residential Contents, Automobiles, Works of Art or Collectibles, Private Planes, Yachts, Inventory for Insurance Coverage, Loans, Sales, Donations, and Litigation Purposes
• Business Valuation: BTI is often called upon to appraise business entities for a variety of purposes Bankruptcy, Eminent Domain, Estate Planning, Dispute Resolution, Loan Support, Marital or Corporate Dissolutions, Mergers, Purchase or Sale
• Machinery and Equipment: BTI's diverse experience in appraising all types of machinery and equipment extends to leasehold improvements, furniture, fixtures and other tangible assets, and a wide range of specialized machinery and equipment including Lasers, Food Processing & Packaging Assembly lines, Cranes, Medical Equipment, Agricultural Equipment, Photography Equipment, Telecommunications Equipment
• Financial Analysis: Sales, profits and expenses often need to be projected, or analyzed, based on external events that trigger losses or gains. BTI regularly performs this type of work for a wide variety of business types.They also analyze contract disputes that financially impact the parties.Commercial creditors even use BTI’s services to analyze and value accounts receivable and related assets that secure their loans to operating businesses.

BTI’s Founder and Chairman, Ben F. Tunnell III, has headed the firm since 1974. Previously, he spent eight years with First Interstate Bank of California as vice president at their corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. He served on the board of arbitrators for both the American Arbitration Association and the Better Business Bureau. He has also been a Registered Investment Advisor and Broker/Dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a licensed, California Real Estate Broker. Mr. Tunnell is an ASA, the senior designation of the American Society of Appraisers, and a California Certified General Real Estate Appraiser #AG-6964. 

View Ben Tunnell's Expert Witness Profile.

Convergent Capital Appraisers (CCA), is a full-service Business Valuation firm located in Houston, Texas, CCA specializes in providing its clients appraisals of closely-held operating businesses, family investment entities, and a variety of other financial assets. With clients and businesses located throughout the State of Texas, CCA also works frequently with clients and their advisors from across the United States to international locations, including Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Peru, and Poland.

All valuation engagements undertaken by Convergent Capital Appraisers consider the various elements of appraisal theory developed by The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) and are performed under the ASA's Principles of Appraisal Practice and Code of Ethics, as well as the Statements on Standards for Valuation Services No. 1 issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In the preparation of their valuation reports, CCA also conforms to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice "USPAP" as developed by The Appraisal Foundation.

Consulting Services:

• Federal Estate, Gift, and Income Tax Appraisals
• Business Transaction Consulting
• Divorce and Ownership Disputes
• Financial Asset Valuation and Consulting
• ESOP Valuation

Principal, Scott S. Miller, MBA, ASA, ABV, specializes in Business Valuation and Transaction Consulting for small to middle market companies. He has over 35 years of professional business experience that ranges from senior operations management with publicly-traded companies to handling all aspects of operations in small privately-held manufacturing and service businesses.

Along with an MBA from the University of Houston, Mr. Miller achieved the Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) designation from the American Society of Appraisers, the Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) certification from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has over 15 years of business / financial asset valuation and consulting experience. 

View Scott S. Miller's Expert Witness Profile.

Linnda Durre', Ph.D., Licensed Psychotherapist, (FL License #MH6058) is an expert witness, psychotherapist, family counselor, intern supervisor, international speaker, corporate trainer, author, business consultant, adjunct college professor, and a magazine, Internet, and newspaper columnist. Her four areas of court expertise are Family Law, Personal Injury Law, Employment Law, and Criminal Law. 

Litigation Support: With over 46 years of experience, she consults to attorneys and has been qualified as an expert witness in nine (9) states - Florida. Alabama, California, Arkansas, Georgia, Connecticut, Washington, Tennessee, and Iowa - in the areas of Personal Injury, PTSD, Family and Couples Counseling, Divorce, Child Custody, Relocation, Drug and Alcohol Counseling, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Abuse by Psychotherapists, as well as Age, Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation Discrimination. Her 400-page doctoral dissertation and research in the latter area was cited to pass legislation in several states. 

Dr. Durre' has hosted and produced four radio shows, two of which were call-in advice shows and two are interview shows. Her current show "Linnda Durre' Interviews" airs daily for one hour on www.VegeRadio.com. at 4 PM ET, 3 PM CT, 2 PM MT & 1 PM PT.  Dr. Linnda Durre' has hosted and produced two call-in advice TV shows, including being selected in a national search of 200 applicants, to host, "Ask The Family Therapist," on America's Health Network (AHN), which was associated with Mayo Clinic and each show aired daily for two hours from Universal Studios Orlando.

She has appeared on Oprah, 60 Minutes, O'Reilly (twice), Today Show, Good Morning America, Canada AM, Daytime, Donahue (twice), Sally Jessy Raphael, People Are Talking, Home Show, Hour Magazine, Home and Family Show, Disney Channel, and the local and/or national news on NPR, PBS, CBS, ABC, NBC, CW, and Fox.

Dr. Durre' has been interviewed, cited, and/or quoted by the NY Times, LA Times, Forbes, WSJ, IBD, Business Week, SF Chronicle & Examiner, Toronto Globe & Mail, Albany Times Union, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Orlando Business Journal, Orlando Sentinel, Parade Magazine, Alternative Medicine Magazine, CNN Online, Washington Parent Magazine, Screen Actor Magazine, Florida Magazine, Pasadena Star News, Orlando Magazine, Women's Health Magazine, and others.

View Linnda Durre's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Robert Evans, PhD,  is a Licensed School Psychologist with over 30 years of experience in the behavioral sciences, including completing over 100 Child Custody Evaluations. Dr. Evans serves as a consultant to the medical, legal, and law enforcement community in Florida on Psychological and Educational matters. He consulted with Orange County Public Defender with cases involving arrest and incarceration of children. He has also provided Critical Incident Stress Debriefings to victims of crime in the Central Florida area. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Evans specializes in Parental Alienation cases which are commonly among those classified as High Conflict Divorce cases and he has written a book on Parental Alienation. He provides litigation support to counsel for both Plaintiff and Defense. His services include support with hearing / trial preparations, review of current evaluations, and support during and after the litigation process. 

Dr. Evans has given sworn testimony as a Forensic Psychology expert witness in NY, IA, IL, PA, GA, FL ID, CO, OH, TX, TN, LA, MA, MD, MO, NC, SC, WA, and OR. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Parental Alienation
• Child Custody Evaluations
• False Allegations of Abuse
• Treatment Considerations for Alienated Children
• Workplace Violence

The Garibaldi Group is a accounting firm that takes accounting and financial management to a new level of responsiveness.

Providing a full range of traditional as well as non-traditional services, this boutique firm focuses on the closely held businesses that are the backbone of our nation. The Garibaldi Group lives by two rules...A commitment to excellence and a passion for accounting.
The complexities of accounting, compliance and the twists and turns of the financial markets is a full time job that requires specialized expertise and professional vigilance. We are committed to providing the best possible service, expertise and experience to help companies and individuals achieve their goals. With our accounting acumen and our desire for professionalism being our first and foremost value, we always try to help each client with a level of responsiveness they deserve.

The Garibaldi Group helps ensure that businesses comply with all current accounting regulations and trends in the financial markets that may affect them.

Consulting Services:

• Accounting, Auditing, and Consulting for Small to Mid-Sized Closely Held Businesses and Professional Practices
• Business and Professional Practice Valuations
• Forensic Accounting Fraud Engagements and Expert Witness Testimony
• Tax Planning and Compliance
• Private Wealth Management
• Business, Financial, and Estate Planning

Founder of The Garibaldi Group and one of the industry's leading law firm services experts, Michael J. Garibaldi, CPA, ABV, CFF, CGMA, has a strong background providing efficient and affordable solutions to complex matters of finance.

A Certified Public Accountant licensed by the State of New York, Mr. Garibaldi is Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), and Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is recognized as a Chartered Global Management Accountant by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.

Mr. Garibaldi works closely with law firms and other professional service firms, manufacturing, wholesale/retail, medical, technology, restaurant/hospitality, artists and galleries, construction, and real estate clients where he is responsible for providing accounting, tax planning management consulting services, and financial reporting.

Michael Garibaldi is a Candidate Member of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), Member of the Institute of Business Appraisers (IBA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the AICPA and the NYSSCPA. He is a past President and former member of the Board of Directors of the NYSSCPA Nassau Chapter, and has held a variety of positions on the Litigation Support Committee of the Nassau County and State Chapters of the NYSSCPA. Mr. Garibaldi has also held a number of positions on other committees and sub-committees within these organizations.

View Michael J. Garibaldi's Expert Witness Profile.

Scott D. Gilbert, PhD, has over 20 years of experience specializing in Economics and Statistics. He is an academic research economist, financial expert, and statistician, with banking sector experience. 

Dr. Gilbert received his PhD degree in economics in the year 1996, and before that worked as an economics research associate at the nation's central bank on the west coast, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. He serves as associate editor of The American Statistician, and his academic research has been published in high-quality peer-reviewed journals in the fields of Economics, Statistics, and Finance. He also has 25 years of teaching experience in economics and statistics, at University of California San Diego, Claremont Graduate School, University of Mississippi, Southern Illinois University, and Webster University. 

Dr. Gilbert is a Member and Board member of AAEFE (American Academy of Economic and Financial Experts), a member of the NAFE (National Association of Forensic Economics), the AEA (American Economics Association), the National Bar Association, and the CPDE (Collegium of Pecuniary Damage Experts).

Litigation Support - Dr. Gilbert provides expert witness and litigation support services on economic matters in tort and contract law, via the consulting firm Gilbert Economics. Since 1998, he has served as an economics expert on a range of legal matters, in cases filed in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, and Mississippi. As an expert witness he serves all Midwest states, and does not charge clients for travel time or expenses in the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Minnesota, Tennessee, or Wisconsin. 

Dr. Gilbert uses his expertise in economics, statistics, and financial matters to assist both plaintiff and defense lawyers in tort and contract cases. As an academic and researcher, his approach to loss and damages estimation is modern and rigorous. Equally important for litigation matters, he knows that evidence documentation is key to developing useful expert opinions, and he assists attorneys in the discovery process. He also explains to lawyers weaknesses in opposing experts' views. His writing in this area has appeared in the Journal of the Missouri Bar Association, and more is (tentatively) forthcoming in the Illinois Bar Journal.

Areas of Expertise:

Economic Damages Personal Injury Wrongful Death Commercial, Contract Disputes, Competition Divorce Valuation

Statistical Evidence - Hypothesis Testing Wrongful Termination Contract Disputes Statistical Evidence-Regression Analysis

Dr. Jane K. McNaught, PhD is a locally and nationally recognized Psychological Forensic Expert with an extensive background in Clinical Psychological issues. Dr. McNaught works with both adults and children. She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Divorce related issues.

Dr. McNaught has treated numerous adult and child victims of sexual and physical abuse. She has also consulted on cases for both the plaintiff and defense regarding the reliability of child and adult statements about sexual assault. She also consults on cases involving delayed reports of sexual assault as well as standard of care regarding interviewing alleged victims of sexual assault. Dr. McNaught also specializes in criminal cases where sexual assault is alleged as well as mental health issues that may impact sentencing. In the area of Family Law, Dr. McNaught has a long history of providing custody evaluations in high conflict cases that involve personaltiy disordered parents, allegations of physical and sexual abuse, allegations of Factitious Disorder of Self and Others, and cases involving Parental Alienation. Dr. McNaught also works with adults who are experiencing depression, anxiety, and going through life transitions. Throughout her career, she has also treated children who are experiencing behavioral, academic, and social difficulties.

Clinical Areas of Expertise:

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Anxiety / Depression Psychological Factors Involved in Chronic Pain Anger Management Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder

Parent Counseling Following Trauma Divorce Adjustment Counseling Sexually Abused Children Parent Child Reunification Therapy Parent Child Counseling

Dr. McNaught has presented her work at national conferences for psychologists, social workers, physicians, attorneys and judges. Her presentations and workshops have been requested by such organizations as the Criminal Justice Institute, International Symposium on Child Custody Evaluation, Trial Lawyers Association, and many others. Dr. McNaught was one of a few psychologists chosen to be an invited Expert on the Minnesota Supreme Court Task Force on Visitation. She has also been invited to participate in State and County Policy Making Boards related to sexual assault as well as divorce custody issues. She is highly regarded as a state and national expert in the areas of: Sexual Assault, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Parental Alienation, Factitious Disorder by Proxy, and Divorce related issues.

View Dr. McNaught's Expert Witness Profile.

Infidelity expert Ruth Houston is the nation's leading authority on the signs of infidelity. She is the author of Is He Cheating on You – 829 Telltale Signs, which documents practically every known sign of infidelity. Based on Ruth's 11 years of in-depth infidelity research, this book is the most comprehensive infidelity reference of its kind.

Ruth has been quoted in the New York Times, New York Post, Newsday, Toronto Sun, Houston Chronicle, Cosmopolitan, Christian Science Monitor, MSN Lifestyle, iVillage and numerous other print and online media.

She has been a guest on The Today Show, Good Day New York, BBC, CBC, TalkAmerica, 1010 WINS and over 150 radio and TV talk shows in the United States, Europe, Canada, South America, New Zealand, and the Caribbean. In addition to researching and writing about infidelity, Ruth conducts seminars on infidelity and does personal infidelity consultations.

Richard M. Teichner, CPA, ABV, CVA, MAFF, CFF, CRFAC, CRFAU, DABFA, FCPA, CGMA, CDFA, licensed in both Nevada and California, has over 45 years of experience in public accounting, and for approximately 25 of those years his areas of practice have been primarily providing expert services and consulting services in business litigation and family law matters. With offices in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr. Teichner's practice extends to various jurisdictions throughout the United States.  Although Mr. Teichner's services are mainly weighted toward complex business litigation and divorce matters, they also include performing valuations of businesses and business interests for estate tax and gifting purposes and for buy-sell situations. Clients have been both businesses and individuals involved in various industries, such as manufacturing, distribution, retail sales, construction, real estate development, and transportation, and in professional practices, e.g. medical, law and accounting, and other service businesses.

Litigation Matters - Expert services are provided to business litigation and family law litigation attorneys representing either plaintiffs or defendants. Mr. Teicher has testified over 45 times at trial and approximately 40 times at depositions. He has been engaged as a testifying expert or consultant in a variety of complex business litigation and family law matters. Such matters have involved forensic accounting, damages claims; contract disputes; disputes among business owners; fraud, including white collar crime; breaches of fiduciary duty; standards of care; and personal injury and wrongful death.  Family law matters have involved property division, tracing, marital waste, alimony, business valuations, and tax implications of divorce.

Areas of Expertise:

Economic Damages / Lost Profits Forensic Accounting Financial Fraud Personal Injury / Wrongful Death Damages Divorce and Family Law Matters

Business Valuations / Appraisal Franchise Valuation Intangible Assets Appraisal White Collar Crime Standards of Care; Breach of Fiduciary Duties

Reno Office 3500 Lakeside Ct, Suite 210 Reno, Nevada, 89509 Telephone: 775-828-7474 or (775) 530-5106

Las Vegas Office 8275 S. Eastern Avenue, Suite 200 Las Vegas, Nevada 89123 Telephone: 702-724-2645 or (702) 467-8335