Forensic Accounting & Expert Witness

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Forensic accounting is for the situations where the numbers are put under real pressure – in court, in arbitration, in front of a regulator, across a negotiating table or under the scrutiny of a board investigating its own affairs. The standard of analysis required is fundamentally different from routine work and the consequences of getting it wrong can determine the outcome of the case.

Our forensic accounting team brings the investigative rigour, technical depth and clarity of communication that this category of work demands.

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How we deliver forensic engagements

Engagements are scoped carefully before any substantive work begins. The objective, the procedural setting the standard of evidence required and the eventual forum in which the work will be tested all shape the methodology.

Investigative procedures are run with documentary discipline a standard that will hold up on disclosure and cross-examination.

The expert opinion or report that emerges is grounded in evidence that is itself defensible.
Where the work involves expert witness duties, our experienced experts carry those duties seriously.

What you can expect our forensic team

Three principles define our forensic work:

Procedurally disciplined

Methodology is set with the forum and the standard of evidence in mind. Working papers are maintained to a standard that withstands disclosure, cross-examination or regulatory inspection.

Communicated to the decision-makers

Reports and oral evidence are written and given for judges, arbitrators, audit committees and counsel rather than for fellow accountants.

Independent in posture and substance

Where the role is that of an expert witness, the independence is real. The opinion we give is the opinion the evidence supports it does not bend to the instructing party’s preference.

Boards, counsel and shareholders engage us on forensic work when the conclusion must hold up to the closest available scrutiny – and when they need a forensic team that will guide them through the investigative process with clarity, procedural discipline and complete independence.

They want experienced forensic accountants whose work, opinion and testimony will survive contact with the other side.

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Here is what our clients have to say…

Macalvins have been running the Payroll and Pension Plan for Hayes & Yeading United Football Club for over 10 years.… Read more

Bernard Bitmead

I love the people of macalvins. they are warm and very dependable. and that what matters to me in any… Read more

SUJOY GHOSH

I have been MaCalvins for the past 6 years and I have found them excellent in every department. They manage… Read more

John Gill

I’ve been with MaCalvins since 2013, they are managing my company business accounts and my personal tax returns in a… Read more

Taghreed Altuhafi

Excellent service and understanding of our business needs

Kanesh Rajani

Thank you Macalvins for excellent service over the years

S Hodzic

Why choose Macalvins?

With our team, you get precision, continuity and the kind of considered advice that comes from people who know your numbers as well as you do.

As a Top 100 UK accountancy firm with international reach through PrimeGlobal, Macalvins brings that depth of expertise to every client, at every stage of growth.

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Insights

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you act as an expert witness in litigation?

Yes. Several of our forensic team are experienced expert witnesses under CPR Part 35 and the equivalent procedural rules in other forums. We have given expert evidence in commercial disputes, shareholder actions, partnership disputes, matrimonial financial proceedings and criminal cases. The duties owed to the court are carried with the seriousness they require.

We suspect financial misconduct internally — how should we proceed?

Carefully. The first hours of an internal investigation often shape its eventual outcome. We will work with you and your legal counsel to define the scope, preserve evidence, conduct interviews with appropriate protocol and report on findings to whatever standard (regulatory, litigation, employment) the situation will eventually be tested against.

How is forensic work different from audit?

An audit provides reasonable assurance over financial statements on a sampling basis, with the objective of a regulatory opinion. Forensic work is investigative — directed at specific allegations, transactions or scenarios — and produces evidence designed to be tested in a contested forum. The two disciplines share underlying skills but the methodology, evidential standards and output are different.

Forensic Accounting
for Businesses

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How we deliver forensic engagements