Mergers and Acquisitions Consultants: 15

MCS Associates is a nationally recognized consulting group that has provided financial, operations and regulatory/compliance consulting services nationwide to financial institutions, insurance companies and regulatory agencies as well as real estate and financial services organizations for over 40 years. Expert Witness and Litigation Consulting are a primary focus of our services. We undertake expert witness assignments throughout the United States and our clients include several hundred leading law firms around the country, working on behalf of both plaintiff and defendant financial institutions, borrowers, depositors, investors, developers, insurance companies and their insured, securities/insurance/real estate brokers/agents, regulators and government agencies, and individuals. 

Together with MCS Associates’ specialized resources in banking, financial services and real estate, we also draw on key strategic alliances in insurance, economics, academia and the securities industry to meet a wide range of expert witness needs. Our litigation experts include experienced bankers, lenders, consultants, regulators, managers, brokers & agents in insurance, real estate, and securities; insurance claims and underwriting managers; economists, accountants, appraisers, real estate analysts, and academics. 

Areas of Expertise Include:

• Banking Operations/Administration
• Check Fraud
• Lending Policies, Custom and Practice
• Loan Underwriting & Credit Administration
• Loan Securitizations & Servicing
• Bankruptcy, Foreclosures and Workouts
• Trust & Fiduciary Issues / Operations
• Securities Brokerage & Investments
• Valuations & Damages Analysis
• Forensic Accounting
• Employment / Compensation
• Real Estate Brokerage & Management
• Title Insurance & Escrow
• Real Estate Appraisal & Transactions
• Insurance Industry Custom & Practice
• Insurance Coverages / Claims Handling
• Insurance Bad Faith

Eric F. Forister, PhD is an Economist with expertise in industrial organization, applied microeconomics, and applied econometrics. He has extensive experience in applying economic insights to understand firm and market behavior, analyzing large datasets using advanced econometric and statistical techniques, and designing and evaluating surveys. He has co-authored medical research papers and legal publications on class certification and market definition. As a consultant, Dr. Forister has addressed issues such as:

Market Definition Market Power Competition Market Pricing Merger Efficiencies Common Impact Materiality

Reliance Ascertainability Royalty Rates (including FRAND) Damages Sampling Survey Design Irreparable Harm

Dr. Forister has analyzed dozens of industries including consumer packaged goods, luxury goods, food products, medical services, biotechnology, legal services, fitness, clothing, entertainment, real estate, air and ground transportation, telecommunications, television, electronics, heavy industry, advertising, restaurants, automobiles, gasoline, payment processing, and illicit markets.

Education/Training:

• PhD in Business Administration (Field: Economics), Stanford Graduate School of Business
• BS in Mathematics / Economics, University of California at Los Angeles, magna cum laude

View Dr. Forister's Expert Witness Profile.

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.

HP Accounting Services, Inc. is a leading provider of interim and outsourced Financial Management for tech and other companies. A CPA and business valuation firm, they support their clients’ compliance with the IRC 409A and SFAS 123(R) rules, intangible asset valuation, as well as issues involving damage calculations, expert witness services in litigation. 

Consulting Services:

• Accounting - Bookkeeping (Monthly/Quarterly/Annual), Accounting system setup for new businesses, Personal financial statements, Business Plan Development & Loan Brokerage, Audit Preparation & Liaison, Budgeting
• Business Valuation - Purchase Price Allocations — FAS 141R
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Business Fraud Prevention

Robert Bates, CPA, Esq., CFE, CVA, CFO has over 30 years of Financial Management and Accounting experience as a Controller and CFO in various industries. He has been in several industries, including telecom, media, retail and financial services in addition to having consulting experience at startups in the software, technology, and life sciences fields. Mr. Bates specializes in International Accounting, Software Issues, and Obtaining Financing. AS CFO of  public companies, he has completed due diligence accounting/reporting for 12 acquisitions, including performing Business Valuations and dealing with FAS 142 issues. Mr. Bates has handled accounting for complex debt instruments including warrants, beneficial conversion feature, and other derivative issues. He has also been responsible for SEC reporting: 10Q’s and 10K’s.

View Robert Bates' Expert Witness Profile.

Principal, EJ Janik, CPA, CFF, CFE is a Certified Public Accountant with 40 years of professional experience. He has been engaged as an accounting consultant on issues involving, among other things, public and private company audits, due diligence, fact finding, asset tracing, lost profits analysis, damage analysis, fraud analysis, insurance claims and business valuations. Mr. Janik holds a Master of Science in Accounting from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Rice University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Janik has provided expert testimony in over 88 matters including testimony in 58 trials or hearings in 8 states. His experience also includes over 23,000 hours of Engineering and Construction auditing and consulting work on construction claims matters involving:

Acceleration Change Orders Costs Defective Plans Differing Site and Concealed Conditions Direct Costs Disruption Evaluating Claims

Indirect Costs Overhead Payroll Fringe Burdens Profit Pre-Qualification Filings Superfund / Hazardous Waste Sites Terminations Other Construction Issues

Mr. Janik provides accounting, financial, economic, fraud, and business dispute consulting. He has provided over 150 financial audits and consulted in over 765 business disputes. Janik's clients include Bank of America, Coca-Cola Company, FDIC, General Motors Corporation, IBM, Travelers Insurance, and many more. Specific areas of expertise include:

Business Consulting Dispute Consulting Forensic Accounting Damage Analysis / Critiques Construction Claims

Opinions / Reports Fact Finding / Graphic Analytics Accounting / Financial / Economic Modeling Contract Accounting Projections and Trend Analysis

View EJ Janik's Expert Witness Profile.

Panorama Consulting Group is a technology-agnostic consultancy specializing in Digital Business Transformation and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System Implementations for mid- to large-sized private- and public-sector organizations worldwide. 

This highly respected firm is 100% independent of software and technology vendor affiliation. They offer a phased and integrated approach to strategy alignment and execution, enabling each client to achieve its unique business transformation objectives by transforming its people, processes, and technology.

Panorama clients include multi-national conglomerates from Amazon Robotics to Valcor Engineering, as well as governmental entities, including state and local governments, municipalities, school districs, state offices of the attorney general, and tribal governments.

About Panorama Consulting Group

Consulting Services Include 

ERP Selection ERP Implementation ERP Contract Negotiation ERP University Digital Strategy Technology Assessment

Change Management Human Capital Management Business Process Management M&A Integration Project Auditing & Recovery Software Expert Witness Testimony

View Panorama Consulting Group's Expert Witness Profile.

PozmantierWilliams Insurance Consultants, LLC is an Insurance / Risk Management firm that offers clients negotiating expertise and depth of knowledge to optimize their coverage while in many cases reducing costs. Services Include:

• Design / Implement / Audit Insurance / Risk Management Programs
• Contractual Review and Recommendations
• Lease Analysis
• Broker Selection / Broker Services Review Advice
• Competitive Marketing of Insurance Programs
• Merger and Acquisition Due Diligence
• Executive Insurance Review
• Claims Services
• Captive / Alternative Risk Planning Services

Joe L. Williams, CPCU, partner in PozmantierWilliams Insurance Consultants, LLC, has over 49 years of experience as an Insurance Agent / Broker and Insurance Consultant. From 1970 until 2007, he was a principal shareholder in a large Houston firm, Wisenberg Insurance + Risk Management, and was Chairman and CEO when the firm was sold to a subsidiary of Wells Fargo Bank. Mr. Williams is very familiar with all phases of the insurance industry, including consulting on bad faith, customs and practices, and standards of care. He has particular expertise in property coverage, business interruption, non-subscription, and risk transfer techniques. During the past several years, Mr. Williams has been a media contact for radio, television and news publications as an authoritative source of information about various insurance and risk management topics. He has taught numerous seminars on Business Insurance at the University of Houston. He has lectured and been a seminar leader on various insurance topics. View Joe Williams' Expert Witness Profile.

Safe Harbour Equity, Inc. offers Commercial Real Estate Brokerage, Capital Advisory, and Site Acquisition services for the Cannabis Industry. Safe Harbour provides the legal, operational, and financial prerequisites for building sustainable startup businesses and successfully managing complex transactions, capital structures, startup protocols, and basis transfers.  

Cannabis Consulting Services:

• Cannabis capital structures, financial statements, valuation, sale - lease back transactions, cannabis recapitalization & reorganization plans, cannabis receiverships
• Cannabis real estate and company financing structures and tax deferred transactions, 1031 exchanges
• Cannabis off balance sheet financing, startup equity investing, mezzanine debt, preferred equity, accredited investing
• Responsibilities of fiduciaries and the contractual implications of fiduciary duty
• Sale of unregistered securities & private placements, investment waterfalls and securities, disclosures, compliance, issuer liability

Peter John Ingersoll is a distinguished CEO and Corporate Broker for Safe Harbour Equity, Inc., specializing in Cannabis Real Estate and Investment. With over 40 years of experience in investment real estate, construction, development, trust, and banking, Peter is a thought leader in cannabis capital structures, financial statements, valuation, sale lease-back transactions, recapitalization, and reorganization plans. His expertise extends to off-balance-sheet financing, startup equity investing, mezzanine debt, and preferred equity. He is a former Series 7, 22, and 63 licensee, as well as a Series 65 registered investment advisor (RIA), 

Graduate of Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania – Finance 

View Peter J. Ingersoll's Expert Witness Profile.

Scopus Financial Group is a FINRA Regulatory Policy and Legal Compliance company, helping broker-dealers fulfill their regulatory responsibilities while meeting their customers’ needs. With Scopus, broker-dealers navigate regulatory waters with confidence.

Scopus is an invaluable resource to the compliance-conscious broker-dealer. They deliver research that is customized to their client’s business,and stand ready to answer client questions and scope out information that is relevant to the broker-dealers they serve.

Business Consultant Services:

Regulation Best Interest / State Fiduciary Rules - Scopus not only helps clients with Reg BI and Form CRS.but also helps clients evaluate proposed state rules, develop alternative rule language, and prepare informed testimony to state legislatures and securities commissions on the possible effects of proposed rules on legitimate business.

Sales Practice Services - Scopus helps broker-dealers navigate the FINRA and SEC sales practice rules, guiding clients according to their particular products and services; conduct internal investigations for possible noncompliance, help clients review supervisory policies and procedures, apply sales practice rules to new products and services, develop compliance strategies, and resolve particular sales practice issues.

Analysis of Regulatory Technology Software - Scopus helps our clients assess regtech software by analyzing how it would apply to the client's business model, whether it would achieve the advertised purpose, and how well the vendor will perform necessary services.

Training - Scopus assists clients in the development of training programs, developing training content that is tailored to the audience, focused on the important points, and delivered most effectively.

Due Diligence - Scopus helps clients perform due diligence on proposed acquisitions or mergers, with particular emphasis on a firm's compliance history, risk management, and commitment to regulatory oversight.

View Thomas M. Selman's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Stan V. Smith is a nationally renowned Economist and Financial Consultant providing analysis in simple terms that any trier-of-fact can understand. As an expert consultant to plaintiff and defense attorneys representing clients in Federal State courts, he provides testimony and litigation support services in evaluating damages. 

Dr. Smith provides Analysis, Testimony, and Litigation Support Services in Evaluating Damages for plaintiff and defense attorneys representing clients in federal and state courts nationwide. His concept of Hedonic Damages is acknowledged by judges, attorneys, and legal journalists as one of the most innovative tort concepts in the last 30 years. He has been interviewed and published in dozens of respected professional journals. Dr. Smith has assisted in the successful resolution of thousands of lawsuits on behalf of clients that include many dozens of the nation's largest law firms, the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as thousands of other prominent plaintiff and defense law firms in almost every state. 

Areas of Expertise:

Antitrust Damages Patent Valuation Lost Wages Mergers & Acquisitions Business Valuations & Losses Hedonic Damages Pension Fund Evaluation and Withdrawal Liability Society and Relationship Damage Analysis Identity Theft and FCRA Credit Damages

Security Losses Commercial Damages Employment Discrimination Life Care Plan and other Medical Cost Evaluations Structured Settlement Analysis Personal Consumption and Fringe Benefits Product Liability Injury Losses Lost Earnings Capacity

J. Armand Musey, CFA, JD/MBA, founder and president of Summit Ridge Group, LLC, provides consulting services for the Satellite, Media and Telecommunications Industries including business appraisal, intangible asset valuation, strategic consulting, custom research. 

Mr. Musey is a highly regarded financial analyst with expertise in Asset Valuation, Business Valuation, Financial Analysis of Economic Damages and Financial Scenario Analysis. He also has significant experience in corporate governance and investment research practices. Mr. Musey's clients include media and communications companies, institutional investors, law firms and other professional services providers. 

Mr. Musey has a unique blend of 16 years of equity research (top-ranked sell-side analyst), investment banking and consulting experience. He has completed dozens of financial valuation, strategy analysis, business development and business plan creation assignments in the communications industry. He has experience in 18 financing and M&A transactions. 

Valuation:

• Transactional - Bankruptcy, Fairness Opinions, Mergers & Acquisitions
• Reporting - Asset Impairment, Portfolio Valuation, Tax

Strategic Consulting:

• Financial - Due Diligence, Merger & Acquisition
• Strategic Development
• Regulatory - Agency Publication Response, Spectrum Auction / License Acquisition Support

Custom Research

• In-Depth Projects - Financial, Market, and Strategic Analysis

View Expert Witness Profile.

Rod Tasker specializes in Payment Services, Transaction Banking, and e-Commerce. He has over 20 years of experience working for major banks in strategic and business planning and cradle to grave product management, including business cases, feasibility, piloting, commercialization, and retirement. Mr. Tasker consults in strategic management and innovative solution delivery in the banking and finance industry. His achievements in Australia and internationally include:
     - Leading a team of 25 people in developing an internet payment service
     - Developing an enterprise Sales and Service architecture for a major bank
     - Developing an international payments business architecture & operations strategy for a major bank
     - Obtaining consensus amongst a consortium of 15 global banks for the strategic vision and plan for implementing B2B international ePayments
     - Developing a variety of e-Banking and e-Payment products and services
     - Building a payments business from start-up as CEO

Areas of Expertise:

Payments e-Commerce Transaction Banking Identity Services

Product Development / Product Management Piloting Commercializing Business and Strategy Formulation

Consulting Services - Mr. Tasker is engaged by companies that offer payment services as products or services, or for whom payments are "strategic" or "core," for example, insurance companies, exchanges, retailers, and investors wanting to evaluate payment business acquisitions, mergers, or funding opportunities. His services include:

Strategy Formulation Business Planning Profitability Improvement Change Management

Program and Portfolio Management Regulatory Compliance Risk Analysis Ventures / Mergers & Acquisitions

Eric Kimberling, MBA, is one of the most recognized and respected independent Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems experts in the world, giving 100% unbiased advice to clients for more than 20 years.

Throughout his career, Mr. Kimberling has helped hundreds of high-profile enterprises worldwide with their ERP initiatives, including Nucor Steel, Petro Masila, the Yemen Government, the City of Charlotte, NC, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Kodak, Samsonite, Coors, Boeing, Duke Energy, Filson, and Lucent Technologies, and the Alaskan Native Tribal Health Consortium, to name a few. 

Mr. Kimberling has helped manage ERP implementations and reengineer global supply chains in countries as diverse as China, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Lebanon, and the United States. He has won numerous industry awards for his experience and contributions, including Supply Chain Pro to Know and Best Independent ERP Blog award from ERP Focus.

Consulting Services:

ERP Software Selection SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Epicor, Infor, and other ERP Systems Organizational Change Management Implementation Project Management Independent Verification and Validation

Project Recovery Merger and Acquisition Business Integration via Strategic Planning Business Process Reengineering Six Sigma Enterprise Strategy

Mr. Kimberling has dedicated himself to giving keynote speeches at industry conferences and universities worldwide, and has been quoted in thousands of articles in newspapers, magazines, and books, including the Wall Street Journal, CIO Magazine, and Fortune. He has authored, published, and presented more than 50 ERP articles and white papers, and is the author of Panorama’s series of ERP Reports, quoted in dozens of publications per year. He is also the author of the acclaimed book, “Lessons from 1,000 ERP Implementations.”

Mr. Kimberling holds an MBA with an emphasis in operational strategy and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. He is also Six Sigma certified and a certified practitioner of multiple ERP solutions, including SAP, Siebel, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Epicor and Infor, among others. He has won numerous industry awards for his experience and contributions, including Supply Chain Pro to Know and Best Independent ERP Blog from ERP Focus.

View Eric Kimberling's Expert Witness Profile.

Trade Resources & Associates is a consulting firm established in 2003 that specializes in cross-border transactions, customs and export compliance, and logistics in the global and domestic movement of goods. Trade Resources & Associates has experience leading global trade compliance and transportation for multinational corporations, such as Micron Technology, Aviza, Inc., Flextronics (formerly Solectron), and Applied Materials.

Consulting Services:

• Export Product Classification & Licensing in Information Security Semiconductor, Network Storage and Data, Global Encryption Space
• Develop Export Management & Compliance Management Programs, Create Export Control Manual  and Technology Control Plan
• Provide Guidance in Import Classification, Valuation and Country of Origin, 301 Tariff Exclusions, Trade Agreement Act (TAA)
• Trade Compliance Risk Audits
• Mergers and Acquisitions ( M & A) Due Diligence
• Direct Voluntary Self Disclosures
• Trade Compliance Automation Services and Export Screening Support
• Logistics and Third-Party Management
• Freight Forwarding and Transportation Management

Jo-Anne Daniels, President and Founder of Trade Resources & Associates, has been a International Trade Industry Consultant for over 25 years. She is a frequent invited speaker for trade associations and logistics organizations. Ms. Daniels authored several industry publications and is the past President of the Professional Association of Exporters and Importers.

Professional Memberships:

• Professional Member of Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA)
• President and Board of Director-Professional Association of Exporters and Importers(PAEI)
• Member of Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (CBFAN) 

View Jo-Anne Daniels' Expert Witness Profile.

Craig A. Wolson acts as a Structured Finance and Derivatives Expert Witness and Consultant. He specializes in cases involving credit default swaps (CDS), collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and other derivatives and securities.

See CV for Achievements

Areas of Expertise:

• Securitizations
• Derivatives
• Securities Law and Corporate Finance
• Loans and Credit Facilities
• Due Diligence