Suffering financial loss in any form or being subject to litigation has dramatic consequences for both the people and the businesses involved. Pitcher Partners' Forensic and Valuation Group understands this, we don't just "crunch the numbers", we can assist you with every aspect of the process, including:

• Managing the impact on your client and their employees.
• Investigation and assessment of the claim.
• Preparation of expert reports.
• Attendance at Court.
• Assessment of the income tax consequences.

Litigation, arbitration and conciliation are invariably entangled in complex accounting and financial issues. Pitcher Partners' Forensic and Valuation Group can help you unravel the most complicated financial issues and lay the cards on the table.

We provide accounting and litigation support services in the following key areas:

• Contractual and commercial disputes, including:
• Economic loss assessments;
• Financial investigations;
• Business valuations;
• Solvency assessments;
• Family law;
• Fraud and theft investigations, including information technology based fraud.

The following Forensic and Valuation services have been identified specifically for our CPN members:

This area focuses on the assessment of income and business losses for insurance and commercial claims, where loss has been suffered and is being claimed against another party.

This means being able to think laterally, and use our commercial experience to quantify a claim in a logical format, and explain the analysis in a simple manner.

This area focuses on accounting investigations where you may or may not know exactly what you are looking for, or what investigations need to be carried out.

Our forensic accountants are able to quickly identify the issues, evaluate their impact and quantify the results in a format, which is reliable and understandable.

Valuations are prepared for a number of reasons, most commonly in business break-ups, matrimonial disputes and damages claims.

Our valuation staff are licensed by ASIC and have a breadth of knowledge and experience in the preparation of private business valuations for both accounting and litigation purposes.

The determination of value is one of the leading causes of business disputes, as the nature and parameters of a valuation change depending on the purpose of the valuation. The first question therefore in determining the method of valuation is to ask the valuation's purpose.

Across a broad range of industries our team has the experience to value businesses and entities for a wide range of purposes be it for a family law settlement or the sale and purchase of a business.

In litigation situations it may often be necessary to either attack or defend a company or individual's solvency at a particular point in time.

Our solvency experts are often called upon to provide expert opinions on winding up actions, voidable transaction claims and insolvent trading actions.

A family law dispute can often involve a number of complex business and valuation issues which require the expertise of a forensic accountant. The forensic team at Pitcher Partners are experienced family law practitioners, regularly preparing valuations of businesses for acceptance in the Family Court and completing investigations where there is doubts placed on the validity of financial information.

The rapid growth of IT and a general reliance on technology has led to a greater emphasis on the incidence of computer fraud.

Our computer consulting division has the expertise necessary to identify the fraud through technology probes, analytical techniques to collate evidence, and then plug the security breaches through prevention processes to mitigate further exposure.

Often overlooked in any claim process is the settlement, which is set as the main goal with little consideration as to how that settlement should be structured.

Compensation for lost revenue is taxable in the hands of the recipient, it may be best to negotiate a settlement which puts greater emphasis on compensation for capital which has different tax consequences.

The right structuring of a settlement can save many thousands of dollars in tax. Pitcher Partners expert tax advisers can advise on a settlement structure that is right for your client's specific situation.

Often, the direct result of the forensic assignment is preparation of an expert report for acceptance by the Court and attendance at the court to give evidence.

Each member of the forensic team has experience in preparing expert reports for the Court and has a complete understanding of the Court procedures and their role in the litigation process.