Money can run. But with us, it can’t hide.

Disputes and investigations

If you’re faced with litigation, fraud, financial irregularities, disputes or economic crime, our specialist team, HW Fisher Forensic, can help.

We have a reputation for thoroughness and effectiveness and can provide the full range of forensic accounting and litigation support. We’re proud to offer our clients the very best analytical and interpretive skills, and meticulous attention to detail during all investigations. We present our evidence to non-specialists clearly and compellingly.

Members of our team are regularly instructed as CPR Part 35 expert witnesses and are adept at producing evidence, both written and oral, which successfully withstands scrutiny in court.

We have been appointed on a number of occasions to act as Single Joint Expert, by mutual consent. This overall experience gives us valuable insights when dealing with any case. We also regularly assist and participate in mediation, an alternative dispute resolution process and provide settlement advice.

Our team can support family matters such as divorce and shareholder disputes with share and business valuations;  as well as supporting other disputes connected to consequential loss, professional negligence, breach of contract and much more.

We can support criminal and regulatory matters and have advised both defendants and prosecution legal teams.

Whether you need forensic accounting advice as a preventative measure, or because the worst-case scenario has played out, our team can bring clarity to the situation – and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Disputes and investigations services


Expert witness

In the event that an independent forensic accounting expert is required (or ordered) we can:

  • Provide CPR Part 35 expert reports that opine on business loss of profits for use in UK civil courts. Typically opining upon:
    • Quantification of losses following breach of contract.
    • Quantification of exercises connected to breach of warranty.
    • Shareholder valuation following minority shareholder disputes.
    • Losses arising from professional negligence.
  • Attend meetings of experts and produce joint statements to narrow the issues.
  • Provide oral testimony in court.
  • Provide evidence in overseas civil courts, international arbitration tribunals and criminal courts.
  • Provide single joint expert

Litigation support

We support litigators at every stage of the commercial dispute process; from pre-action through to enforcement, whether claimant or defendant/respondent.

We are typically instructed to:

  • Provide an early assessment of quantum and likely heads of loss for inclusion in pleadings.
  • Identify accounting records required to support (or rebut) claims at an early stage.
  • Work with back-office functions to help the finance staff of parties to a dispute identify and ring-fence quantum evidence at an early stage.
  • Work seamlessly with legal teams and their clients to consider the likely costs and benefits of various legal strategies.
  • Prepare decision trees and update them throughout the life of a dispute and calculate weighted average outcomes for decision making purposes.
  • Provide reports in support of interlocutory applications such as specific disclosure, security for costs and summary judgment.
  • Assist ahead of mediations by providing quantum input into case summaries and opening statements.
  • Attend mediations to help legal teams and their clients reach the best outcome available (and thereby avoid pyrrhic victories).
  • Perform ad-hoc calculations (for example to determine interest and costs).
  • Advise legal teams on with the quantification of CPR Part 36
  • Advise on recovery prospects by reviewing financial information such as filed financial statements.
  • Help legal teams avoid ‘surprises’ by shadowing independent expert appointments.

Key contacts

Stuart Burns
Partner

020 7380 4964
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Chris Wheeler
Partner

+44 (0)20 7380 4939
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Contact us

We’d love to hear from you. To book an appointment or to find out more about our services: