About Lit.Econ, LLP
About The Firm
Lit.Econ, LLP is a consulting firm comprised of professional economists, accountants and financial analysts providing quality dispute consulting services to law firms and their clients, and government agencies. The Firm was founded by senior dispute consulting professionals from a “Big Four” accounting firm with skills in a wide range of disciplines including economics, time series analysis, accounting, mathematics, finance and statistics. The Firm specializes in providing expertise in the areas of economic analysis, forensic accounting, economic damage assessment, business and asset valuations, and expert witness testimony.
Our professionals have provided consulting services to lawyers, their clients, and government agencies in all stages of litigation, arbitration hearings, regulatory proceedings and contract negotiations. Our aim is to accelerate and enhance our clients’ understanding of industry and business issues, and how these play a role in business litigation. In addition to providing thorough technical analysis of financial and economic data leading to well-designed damage analyses, our professionals provide assistance in the discovery process, in evaluating case strengths and weaknesses, in understanding liability ramifications and in developing strategy and damage theories.
Our goal is to provide prompt, effective and high quality service to our clients. We understand the need to be responsive and flexible, and to operate with a sense of urgency. Because we specialize in working with attorneys, our professionals are familiar with the legal system and are comfortable working within it. Consequently, we can respond to your needs quickly and efficiently throughout the dispute resolution process.
Economic Analysis
The term economic analysis is broad in scope. It covers not only litigation related analysis, but also industry and other microeconomic studies for a variety of clients. Economic analysis is not damage assessment, which we consider to be a separate and distinct process.
Our professionals have experience in providing economic and industry studies for business valuations and mergers, market definition and product definition studies for antitrust cases, investigations into the way products and services are created and distributed, and the application of time series analysis in a variety of business interruption cases. From government agencies we have examined the supply and demand for such materials as uranium and coal, completed studies for moving products and materials and determined the value of water to various users.
Economic Damages
Experts and consultants are used by lawyers to both prove or disprove the amount of damages claimed in business disputes. Preparing or critiquing a damage claim involves much more than verifying its mathematical accuracy. It requires the ability to evaluate and assess the assumptions used in the damage model. Do the assumptions and calculations follow similar paths with the facts in evidence? Is the approach to damages consistent with sound business practices and actual events within that industry? Are basic components in the damage model, such as revenues, costs and expenses accurate? Finally, the economic model supporting the legal claim in the case must make good business sense and be supportable by actual events.
Forensic Accounting
In general, forensic accounting refers to the application of accounting principles and theories to actual or hypothetical facts at issues in a legal dispute. Resolving legal disputes today is becoming more complex and demanding. Consequently, lawyers look to the forensic accountant to assist them in interpreting financial data, explaining complex transactions, verifying information, reconstructing books of accounts and tracing the flow of money.
Our forensic accountants are specialists who can help the lawyer uncover what really happened. We testify to the propriety and accuracy of accounting records and have the experience as expert witnesses to effectively present the information in the face of cross-examination.
Valuations
Many legal disputes require that an economic value be placed on a business, financial assets including goodwill, partnership interests, financial assets, restricted stock, employee stock options, ESOPs, and the like. Valuing these types of assets for dispute purposes follows a similar path to valuing them in other circumstances. The facts of the case must be understood, evaluated and analyzed with the final result a supportable opinion of value.
Our professionals have extensive experience in valuing privately held businesses for mergers and minority shareholder or partner buyouts. In the litigation context we have valued securities for security fraud and 10(b)-5 cases, and valued businesses lost due to actions of another party. Our professionals have experience in determining business goodwill value in cases ranging from condemnation and inverse condemnation proceedings to marital dissolutions.
Our business, partnership and financial asset valuations have covered entities operating in over one hundred different industries and several professional sports leagues.
Expert Testimony
Finding the right expert witness can make a significant difference in the dispute resolution process. When an expert witness is needed, the need is often immediate and time cannot be wasted looking for a person with the proper experience and credentials. In this important area, technical skills are often not enough. A good expert witness is one who is experienced in the litigation process and can communicate opinions clearly and explain difficult concepts simply.
The professionals at Lit.Econ, LLP have testified on many issues affecting businesses in a variety of industries. We possess the necessary mix of technical skills and the ability to explain complex economic issues in simple, understandable terms. Our professionals also have the professional demeanor and experience needed to stand up under cross-examination. Collectively, these are the skills required to be an effective expert witness.