Will the judge buy
your story?

Whether you achieve a good settlement or win your litigation in court, depends on the evidence, your legal team, and having the better, more convincing, more credible story. And your expert witness, diligently following his duty to the Court whilst giving his expert opinion, is going to play an important part in that.

I am often instructed to write CPR Part 35 Expert Reports in relation to litigation in the High Court. Whilst most commercial litigation settles before trial, I have given oral evidence in Court on a number of occasions, including in the reported case Capital For Enterprise Fund A LP (2) and Maven Capital Partners UK LLP v Bibby Financial Service Ltd [2015] EWHC 2593 (Ch).

I was Head of Litigation Support at BKL, and am a member of the Academy of Experts. On larger cases, I build a team to support me.

As accountancy expert in litigation cases over the years, whenever a case has gone to trial, I’ve never been on the losing side. It’s not some magic trick. It comes from working well with strong evidence and having the experience and expertise to analyse data and explain complex issues, simply and clearly to the Court.

And if a case does go to trial, it’s also about being thoroughly prepared, and being calmly credible even, and especially when, under the pressure of cross-examination. On the latter point my experience includes successfully withstanding seven days’ cross-examination before Mr Justice Mann.

If you are a solicitor representing a client whose case involves complex financial, accounting or tax matters, you need an advisor who is an expert in litigation as well as in finance. I can advise on cases involving:

– Technical accountancy and other financial matters, including those requiring forensic accounting
– Shareholder disputes, including those requiring share valuations
– Negligence claims against accountants
– Divorce, where marital assets need to be uncovered and businesses or shares need to be valued
– Disputes between business partners or joint venture partners, where the financial aspects of complex agreements need to be evaluated and quantum established