News Category: News

The FBI estimates that “business e-mail compromise” scams cost companies $3.1B globally. A new AICPA report warns accountants who work with foreign suppliers and execute wire transfers to foreign banks about the pitfalls of trusting e-mails that are designed to look as though they are sent from company executives.

In light of the AICPA report, Bloomberg BNA asked StoneTurn’s Simon Platt to comment on the importance of policies and compliance programs to train employees on how to appropriately respond.

Read the full article: “Email Impersonation Scams Costing Billions, AICPA Warns.”

StoneTurn is pleased to announce that Alan Ratliff, Ambreen Salters and Christopher Martinez have been recognized as top patent damages experts in the U.S.

Over a period of five months, Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) interviewed hundreds of attorneys, patent attorneys and in-house counsel across the country to compile the 2016 IAM Patent 1000 — The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners. Each of the experts listed received sufficient positive feedback from peers and clients with knowledge of their practice and the market in which they operate to qualify for the recognition. Twenty-three experts were recognized as Highly Recommended, including Alan, while Ambreen and Christopher were recognized among Recommended experts.

According to IAM’s 2016 Patent 1000:

Forensic accounting, economics and valuation expert Alan Ratliff has some unique credentials. Prior to joining StoneTurn Group and establishing the firm’s Houston base, he was a public accountant and, preceding that, a litigator at a top global law firm. “He knows how to present damages arguments in a rational way that lay people can understand and resonates with juries.”

For more information on the IAM Patent1000 and to view the complete list of experts, visit: Best Patent Damages Experts

April 11, 2016 – StoneTurn is pleased to announce that Xavier Oustalniol has joined the firm as a Partner in San Francisco. Xavier brings more than 25 years of experience as a forensic accountant, auditor and litigation consultant, and assists clients on complex forensic accounting issues, fraud investigations, fraud prevention, forensic due diligence and anti-corruption compliance assessments.

Catherine Connolly, a Partner in StoneTurn’s San Francisco office, said, “Xavier’s expertise in complex business litigation matters and corporate investigations, as well as his extensive industry knowledge, will certainly benefit our clients as we continue to expand the scope of our offerings and grow StoneTurn’s presence in the Bay Area. Xavier and I have known one another since our days at Deloitte, and I’m thrilled to team up with him again.”

Xavier has led numerous engagements involving fraud investigations, securities litigation, damages analysis, international arbitration, accountant malpractice and purchase price disputes. In addition, he has extensive experience advising creditors, debtors and trustees in bankruptcy litigation, and on accounting matters in which fraud is suspected and litigation is involved.

He has testified as an accounting expert on the application of generally accepted accounting principles and other financial issues at trial in Federal Court, deposition and in arbitration. Xavier’s industry experience ranges from financial services institutions such as hedge funds, banks, insurance companies, investment companies and securities broker / dealers, to the aviation, real estate, technology, energy, automotive, luxury apparel, telecommunications, professional services, consumer products, agricultural, and manufacturing sectors.

Most recently, Xavier was a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Global Forensic and Dispute Services, where he established the practice in San Francisco. Previously, he was with two other global professional services firms. He began his career as an auditor with Deloitte.

Simon Platt, StoneTurn’s Managing Partner, said, “I am delighted to welcome Xavier to StoneTurn. Not only does his deep expertise expand our firm’s offerings on the West Coast, Xavier is also a wonderful addition to our senior leadership team.”

 

 

2015: A YEAR IN REVIEW

StoneTurn Group had the great privilege to work with clients — many long-standing relationships and numerous new ones — on a range of high-stakes matters last year.

In 2015: A Year in Review, we provide just a few examples of how our professionals continue to bring a focus on quality and a creative, collaborative approach to meet your toughest challenges.

Read more.

Roger Siefert provided testimony in an art forgery trial in Manhattan Federal District Court, which has since been followed by a settlement by one of the defendants in the case.

Knoedler & Company, a 165-year old art gallery, which was once New York’s oldest, and its former president, Ann Freedman, have been accused of selling more than 30 pieces of forged artworks supplied by a Long Island art dealer. Roger testified on behalf of Domenico and Elenore De Sole, who purchased what they believed to be an authentic Mark Rothko painting from Knoedler for $8.3 million in 2004. The De Soles sued the gallery and Freedman when they discovered the painting was a fake.

StoneTurn’s team – Roger and Michel Hagenaar – analyzed Knoedler’s financial records and determined that, if not for the sale of forged artworks, Knoedler would have been an unprofitable enterprise during most of the years it sold the counterfeits. At trial, Roger also provided testimony with respect to Freedman’s multi-million dollar personal gains from sales of the paintings in question, highlighting consistent increases in her profit-sharing arrangement with the gallery over almost two decades. It was reported on Feb. 7 that Freedman reached a settlement with the De Soles; terms have not been disclosed.

Read The New York Times’ report on the high-profile lawsuit, including Roger’s testimony.

Read the follow-up story on the settlement.

StoneTurn’s client Boston University was recently awarded $13.7 million in patent royalties by a jury in Boston, Massachusetts, after three years of litigation and nearly three weeks of trial related to infringement of a Blue LED light microchip patent infringed by three Taiwanese LED light chip and package manufacturers: Epistar, Everlight and Lite-On.

Alan Ratliff testified on the matter. The core team working with lead counsel, Shore Chan DePumpo, and Boston University was led by Adam Gordon, Tiffany Lewis and Melissa Haley, with assistance from Kris Buchan, Robert Wright and Linda Calles. Other professionals in StoneTurn’s office provided additional support on the matter.

Alan Ratliff was recognized as an Outstanding Community Volunteer at the National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon at the Hilton-Americas in Houston on November 19, 2015, in connection with his volunteerism for the Chinquapin Preparatory School in East Houston.

The verdict is in and Google, StoneTurn’s client, was found not liable for infringement in its second trial in as many years against SimpleAir. In a previous trial, involving different experts, SimpleAir was awarded $85 million for Google’s infringement of patents related to push notifications on mobile devices. The second trial involved the same type of alleged infringement, but different patents, other outside counsel for Google (Quinn Emanuel) and StoneTurn professionals working on the damages issues.

Alan Ratliff filed expert reports and gave depositions in the matter. The core team included Tiffany Lewis, Kris Buchan, Katie Prichard and David Shannon, with additional assistance from various team members in StoneTurn’s Houston office.

Alan Ratliff moderated a panel of judges and practicing attorneys engaged in a discussion on patent damages at the 2015 Eastern District of Texas Bench Bar Conference in Plano, Texas.

Judge Bryson of the Federal Circuit, Chief Judge Clark of the Eastern District of Texas, Judge Gilstrap of the Eastern District of Texas, Magistrate Judge Love of the Eastern District of Texas, Steve Williams of McDole & Williams in Dallas, and co-moderator Bo Davis of Longview, Texas, participated on the panel. Alan and Bo provided a recap of 2015 Federal Circuit opinions with significant damages issues. The panel focused on the role of surveys and technical experts in determining apportionment with respect to reasonable royalty damages, and the requirements for lost profits damages. The session concluded with questions from the audience.

To learn more, download the conference program and panel slides

Alan Ratliff, a Partner in StoneTurn’s Houston office, who was recently appointed by the Houston Mayor to the Houston BARC Foundation (HBF), has been elected as its Chair and President.

HBF is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the City of Houston’s animal regulation and care efforts, including raising funds from the private sector to provide much needed medical and kennel supplies, equipment and better living conditions to the animals at the local shelter, which is the largest in the U.S.

Additionally, Katie Prichard, a Manager in StoneTurn’s Houston office, has been appointed as Administrative Coordinator of the HBF.