Personal Finance Expert Witnesses

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.

 Litigation Support - Since selling his firm, Mr. Kagan has been involved in approximately 10 expert witness cases for attorneys in various specialty areas, including class actions. He specializes in qualified and non-qualified retirement plans under ERISA law.  With an FSA, the highest educational designation for actuaries, and an EA, an enrolled actuary which allows certification of pension plan valuations, he can serve as an expert witness in the following areas:

Marital Dissolution Life Estate Calculations Pension Plan Disputes Audits Loss of Income Injury Disability

IRS / DOL / PBGC Complaince Pension Profit Sharing Plans 401K Retirement Plans ERISA Injury / Death Insurance and Annuities

 
Degrees / Certifications - FSA, Fellow Society of Actuaries, EA Enrolled Actuary, FCA Fellow Conference of Actuaries in Public Practice, Members of ASPPA, NIPA, and Western Pension and Benefits Conference, FINRA securities license, and life / health insurance agent license with State of California.

Mr. Bob Lawson,  AIF®, CFE®, MRFC®, LUTCF®, is a Securities & FINRA Expert Witness retained for FINRA arbitration, mediation, and federal/civil court litigation. Mr. Lawson possesses over 35 years of experience within the securities and insurance industries. In 1988, Mr. Lawson founded Barrington Capital Management, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisory firm and Insurance Agency, and currently serves as the President and Chief Compliance Officer and President of Barrington Financial Consulting Group, Inc, as a Securities Expert Witness and Consulting Experts. 

In addition, Mr. Lawson serves as a FINRA Mediator and presides as a FINRA & NFA Dispute Resolution Chairman for disputes concerning public and private investors, financial services professionals, broker-dealers, and dually-registered investment advisers. Claims often arise regarding breach of fiduciary duties, employment disputes, conflicts of interest, churning, unsuitable investments, and failure to supervise, among others. Mr. Lawson also serves as a public mediator and is a Qualified Neutral under Minnesota Rule 114 of Standard Practice in Mediation and Arbitration. His breadth of experience includes managing and supervising FINRA broker-dealer branch offices as a Registered Securities Principal, Options Principal, and Chief Compliance Officer. Mr. Lawson also has considerable experience with insurance products including variable annuities, fixed and indexed annuities, long term care, and life insurance. Mr. Lawson possesses numerous accolades and is certified as an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE®), Master Registered Financial Consultant (MRFC), and a Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF®). Retaining Mr. Lawson as an Expert Witness and Litigation Consultant will clarify and address relevant issues pertaining to your case from an insider's point of view. Upon a thorough examination and analysis of the case material, Mr. Lawson’s conclusions and opinions are impartial, objective, and predicated upon years of industry expertise and experience. Expert testimony and reports are supported by thorough and detailed research through case-specific analysis.

Areas of Expertise:

• FINRA & SEC Regulations
• Breach of Fiduciary Duty
• Promissory Notes
• Securities Fraud Investigations
• Ponzi Schemes
• Options, Stocks & Bonds
• Due Diligence
• FINRA Arbitration
• Professional Malpractice
• Economic Damages & Losses
• Employment Discrimination & Termination

Services:

• Litigation Consulting
• Unbiased Case Analysis
• Discovery Review & Recommendations
• Portfolio Risk Reports
• Securities Fraud Investigation
• Damage Calculations
• Expert Testimony

View Bob Lawson's Consulting Profile.

  

John T. Foster calls upon his deep and broad senior level experience, gained through a 35 year career in the broker-dealer industry, to provide uniquely relevant securities expert witness services. Uncommon in the “expert” field, Mr. Foster continues today to be actively engaged in the field as a specialized consultant for broker-dealer firms. He currently serves as the President and CEO of Bedford & Main Financial Consulting. Mr. Foster worked for many years in a senior management role for a large, multi-national self-clearing firm. He also served as the President and CEO of an independent broker-dealer where he was responsible for ensuring compliance and regulatory requirements were properly implemented to support a retail-based business. He is very familiar with financial services expert witness issues related to fundamental FINRA compliance regulations such as: suitability, supervision, senior issues, churning, complex products and written supervisory procedures (WSPs). He is also proficient in matters related to client and firm interactions with financial advisors, which frequently are subjects of FINRA arbitrations. Mr. Foster believes that in order to maintain ethical standards a high degree of selectivity is required when reviewing specific issues and determining his ability to provide a meaningful expert opinion. As such, he is happy to review a claim (“On my own time and expense of course!”) to determine if he has the proper background and agreement to support a case. Areas of Expertise:

Senior Issues Suitability Supervision Churning Clearing Firms / Broker-Dealer Operations Discount Web Brokers Complex Corporate Actions SEC Direct Market Access (15c3-5)	FINRA Compliance Anti-Money Laundering Specialist Written Supervisory Procedures (WSPs) Foreign Accounts Private Security Transactions Outside Business Activities Master Accounts and Sub-accounts Financial Advisor Supervision

Licenses and Memberships:

• FINRA Series 3, 7, 24, 27 and 63
• Certified FINRA Dispute Resolution Arbitrator
• Member of the Securities Experts Roundtable
• Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS)

View Bedford & Main's Consulting Profile.

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

Carlo Scevola & Partners is an International Fiduciary Company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with branches in six continents. We specialize in International Planning, Strategic Consulting and Wealth Management.

Our clients trust us for everything from setting up an Offshore Company to Mergers and Acquisitions to Business Finance and Asset Protection. CS&P’s customer-centric methodology ensures that each client gets a custom-tailored solution which addresses that business’ individual objectives and requirements.

Our team has expertise in every functional category and every important geography. From finance to operations to human resources to marketing – from the Americas to Europe to Africa, Asia and Oceania – CS&P can bring together experienced executives who know how to advise you and will make your enterprise a success. All this while always protecting your privacy.

Services Offered:

Business and Strategic Consulting

S.W.O.T. Analysis

Pre-investment Feasibility Studies / Competitive Background Assessments

Business Plan Research, Writing and Production

Strategy Definition / Implementation

Reworking of Operating Processes for International Suitability

Industrial Partnership Scouting / Matching

Tailor Business Model to Market Environment, Jurisdiction and Local Authorities Requirements

Corporate Finance:

Mergers, Acquisitions and CessionsCommercial Due Diligence or Investment / Financial Appraisals

Company Reorganization and Restructuring

Financial Feasibility Plans for Industrial Expansion

Scouting / Recruiting Highly Qualified Financial Management

Exit Strategies in the event of Buy-outs, Buy-ins, Spin-offs or MBOs, MBIs and LBOs

Listing on Stock Exchanges

Offshore Consulting:

International Tax Planning

Corporate Structuring, Maintenance and Trusts

International Contracts Law

Jurisdictions

Residency and Citizenship

International Banking

Logistic Support

Government Licenses

Aircrafts and Vessels

Intellectual Property

CS&P Operates In More Than 80 Countries Around The World.

As Author of Anatomy of Credit Scores and Founder / President of Easy Credit Relief, Inc., Douglas Minor focuses on helping and teaching people how to understand the credit system. Showing them the best ways to use credit and maximize their score.

Doug has spent the last 25 years reviewing personal credit reports and financial profiles of individuals. He has happily been quoted and interviewed for articles appearing in FoxBusiness.com, Yahoo! Finance, and Entrepreneur Magazine.

During this time he has enjoyed answering thousands of questions regarding credit scores and the information contained in credit reports.

Having a pragmatic disposition as well a broad base of experience in business he has the unique knowledge and academics to assess damages. He has performed training classes to audiences of all levels of sophistication including Professional Groups, Lenders, CEO’s, and Consumers. As a respected Expert in Credit Related Damages, Credit Reporting, and Scoring he serves as a litigation consultant / expert witness for those involved in credit damages litigation.

ECS Financial Services, Inc., started in 1962, has expanded into a full-service accounting firm that offers so much more than traditional accounting. ECS is driven by their mission to provide clients with world-class services. From the leasing industry, to corporate and individual tax, their clients benefit from a staff of experts who not only listen, but take the time to thoroughly understand their needs and objectives. You get the experience and capability of a large-scale accounting firm, with the personal attention of a small business.

Forensic Accounting & Expert Witness Services - The ECS forensic accounting and expert witness team has the expertise to help with all litigation support needs. ECS professionals include accountants with investigative skills to examine records for possible fraud, identify theft or embezzlement, calculate a potential damage claim, or testify in a legal dispute.

Mitchell M. Cohen, CPA, CFE, FCPA, CFLC, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) a Forensic Certified Public Accountant (FCPA) and a Certified Forensic Litigation Consultant (CFLC) with over 27 years of accounting and tax experience.

Mr. Cohen is a Shareholder with ECS Financial Services, Inc., and has been with the firm since 2003. His expertise includes offering expert guidance in many areas such as: Strategic Business Planning, Financial Negotiation, Accounting System Design, Personal and Corporate Tax Planning, IRS Audits, and Financial Statement Compilations. A testifying expert witness, he has also conducted numerous forensic investigations in the areas of Divorce, Loss of Income Calculations, Piercing the Corporate Veil, and Conversion.

Mr. Cohen's services include Reviews and Audits in the areas of for-profit, governmental and not-for-profit entities, manufacturing, distribution, interior design, and catering companies and restaurants among many types of closely held businesses.

Nancy A. Geary, CPA, CLP, is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Lease Professional. Ms. Geary has been with ECS Financial Services, Inc., a regional CPA firm, since 1984, and a Partner with the firm since 1990. Among other responsibilities, she manages the firm’s Leasing Services Department. Ms. Geary is proficient in various software packages specifically designed for the Equipment Leasing Industry.

Ms. Geary’s primary areas of concentration include equipment lease portfolio management, accounting and consulting services for the equipment leasing industry, as well as accounting, auditing, income tax planning and compliance and management consulting for a wide variety of closely-held businesses.

Ms. Geary has participated in several expert witness engagements. Her experience includes preparation of expert witness reports, rebuttal reports, damage analysis, and forensic accounting. She has written numerous articles published in several leasing publications, and authored the Tax and Financial Accounting chapter of the CLP Foundation’s Handbook of Equipment Leasing.

Samuel N. Oliva, CPA, CMA, CLP, has served as Managing Partner of ECS Financial Services, Inc. since 1982. Concurrently, Mr. Oliva has served as CEO of Beacon Funding Corporation, a successful equipment leasing company, since 1990.

Mr. Oliva is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Lease Professional, licensed business broker and a licensed real estate broker. He serves on the Board of Directors of Harris Bank in Chicago. His distinctions include the 2002 Financial Executive Award from the Institute of Management Accountants and the 2003 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Western Illinois University.

Mr. Oliva’s accounting and tax background, coupled with his superior business knowledge and management skills, his expertise within the leasing industry, and his natural business sense, make him uniquely qualified to opine on Accounting, Finance, Credit, and Real Estate related matters. He has served as an expert witness in a variety of situations. His experience includes serving as a confident and knowledgeable trial witness, preparation of expert witness reports, evaluation of damages and consulting with attorney’s throughout the various stages of litigation.

View ECS Financial Services' Consulting Profile.

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 the many complex issues facing the legal profession today.

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.

Mr. Garibaldi provides valuation and litigation support services, assisting attorneys and their clients with the financial aspects of a case throughout the litigation process, from contemplation of action through expert witness testimony. He brings an in-depth understanding of the business and technical aspects of valuation, finance and accounting that is required in complex litigation and arbitration cases.

Mr. Garibaldi qualifies as an expert in valuation matters in the Supreme Courts of New York, Nassau, Suffolk, Kings, Richmond, Monmouth, Orange, and Westchester Counties, and has been called upon by the courts to serve as a neutral Expert. As an instructor of the AICPA Certificate of Educational Achievement Program in Business Valuation, Mr. Garibaldi teaches his specialty to other professionals.

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.

Areas of Expertise:

Auditing Bankruptcy Business Business Law Business Valuation Lost Profits Mergers & Acquisitions Finance

Forensic Accounting Fraud Investigation, Embezzlement Personal Property Valuation Real Estate Valuation Trusts & Estates White Collar Crime Dissolutions Wrongful Death, Termination

View Michael J. Garibaldi's Consulting Profile.

Keegan Linscott & Associates, PC is a full service accounting firm with more than 20 years of experience providing expert services as Certified Public Accountants, Certified Fraud Examiners, Forensic Accountants, and Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors.

KLA's litigation support team assists clients and their attorneys to prepare for the financial and economic facets of settlement or trial proceedings. They perform in depth analyses and provide clear and detailed explanations of findings. They assist attorneys as consultants or in the court in a wide range of cases and investigations. Their role can involve fact finding, discovery, settlement negotiations, trial support, and expert witness testimony.

The professionals at KLA have testified as experts in Federal, District, Bankruptcy, State, and Tax Courts, as well as before arbitration panels. They have the proven ability to develop and communicate compelling analyses of accounting, economic and financial information to judges and juries in plain, simple language through affidavits, written reports, oral testimony, and trial graphics.

Litigation Support Services:

• Analyze damages involving commercial litigation and damages involving individuals, including lost profit analysis, owner disputes, employee/employer disputes, personal injury, and business interruption claims
• Evaluate opposing party's financial damages report to uncover any hidden facts or missing information in a business damages case
• Divorce litigation, including analysis of sole and separate property issues
• Locate hidden assets
• Analyze preference claims, inter-company transfers of assets, and fraudulent conveyances

Christopher G. Linscott, CPA, CFE, CIRA, is a Director of Keegan Linscott & Associates and is the Director of Litigation, Forensic Accounting, and Bankruptcy Support Services.

Mr. Linscott was previously employed with the international CPA firms of Coopers & Lybrand (now Price­water­houseCoopers), and Peat Marwick (now KPMG). He has more than 25 years of ex­perience in public accounting.

Mr. Linscott specializes in the areas of Litigation Support, Bankruptcy Reorganization, Fraud Investigations and Prevention, and Business Consulting. He has served clients in industries including construction, health care, home builders and developers, law firms, manufacturing and distribution, non-profit, professional services, real estate, restaurant franchises, retail service, and wholesale.

Mr. Linscott is a Member of the Arizona Society of CPA's, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors, and a Director of the Board of Directors at Bashas’.

Eric A. Lee, CFE, CIRA, is a Principal and Phoenix Practice Leader in the Consulting Services group of KLA. A Certified Fraud Examiners, he serves in testifying expert and consulting expert roles in litigation, forensic accounting, fraud and investigation services, and criminal matters both in the United States and internationally.

Mr. Lee has extensive experience conducting complex financial analysis and forensics related to multi-million dollar fraud schemes, analysis of complex financial accounts and transactions, fraudulent transfers and conveyances, analysis of securities transactions, international investigations, and loss and damages calculations.

Prior to his career in consulting services, Mr. Lee spent more than seven years as a Special Agent with the Federal government. During his tenure as a Special Agent, he investigated criminal and civil violations relating to fraud, money laundering, theft and embezzlement, public corruption, and tax evasion.

Mr. Lee has prepared expert reports, affidavits and disclosures, and testified/presented as an expert in Federal, State, and Tribal jurisdictions.

View Keegan Linscott & Associates' Consulting Profile.

Maurice Lieberman, CLU, ChFC, RHU, LUTCF, has over 40 years of experience specializing in Insurance and Financial Planning.

Mr. Lieberman holds three professional designations from the American College, Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, and Registered Health Underwriter. He is a Life Insurance Training Council Fellow, and a member of the American College of Financial Services Professionals, Forensic Expert Witness Association, and the American College of Forensic Examiners International.

Background Experience - Mr. Lieberman started as an insurance agent for Metropolitan Life and then advanced in his career to manage brokers. He successfully built agencies for Aetna, and Principal Financial Group. He was later promoted to Regional Director for New England Financial, and CSAA Life. Over the years he mentored hundreds of insurance agents, brokers, financial planners and agency managers to build their own successful careers and agencies. He was also a member of the Million Dollar Round Table and utilized his selling and management experience to train insurance agents, brokers and financial planners in advanced areas of estate, business insurance, and financial planning.

Litigation Support - . Mr. Lieberman has utilized his financial planning and insurance industry knowledge to consult with attorneys for over the past 12 years. He consults with attorneys and assists council in trial preparation regarding issues of life insurance and annuity coverage analysis, coverage disputes, and company practices. He has been called upon to be an expert witness in insurance litigation cases for both plaintiff and defendant.

Areas of Expertise:

Life Insurance Coverage Analysis Annuity Coverage Analysis Coverage Disputes Company Practices Life Insurance Products and Services

Contract Analysis Regulations Compliance Best Practice Principles Life Insurance Underwriting Procedures

View Maurice Lieberman's Consulting Profile.

Donald J. Miod, CPA, ABV, CVA, CBA, FCPA, CFF, CFS, CGMA, MAFF, MFP, is the founding partner of Miod and Company, LLP. He oversees all aspects of the company's Accounting, Tax, and Litigation Services.

Mr. Miod has 43 years of hands-on experience in all phases of closely held entertainment, manufacturing and professional service businesses, from accounting and auditing services to advising the board of directors.

Mr. Miod is a prominent member of several industry associations and a significant contributor to state industry conferences. He was voted one of the top 25 CPAs in the San Fernando Valley and is the recipient of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants Family Law Sections Distinguished Service Award. He is the Author of several published articles on business valuations and family law issues.

Litigation Support - Donald J. Miod has developed a solid reputation for ethical Forensic Accounting services for litigants in Civil, Family Law and Tax areas. With his innovative, proprietary “Asset Tracing Model,” he is an acknowledged leader in the field.

Mr. Miod has also been appointed by the court as a Special Master, as an Evidence Code §730 financial expert; and stipulated to by litigants and divorcing couples to be the neutral forensic accountant in the litigation, mediation, and collaborative law arenas. For all legal arguments that relate to accounting issues, he delivers informed, objective, honest opinions.

Areas of Expertise:

Objective Business Appraisals Marital Dissolutions Estate Valuations Mergers and Acquisitions Thorough Investigative Accounting Civil Litigation Claims Cash Flow Loss of Earnings Third Party Claims

Inventory Losses Employee Dishonesty Asset Tracing Settlement Assessments Damage Analysis Reimbursement Claims Post Separation Accounting Tax Consultation Fraud Investigations

View Miod and Company, LLC's Consulting Profile.