“What stands out in working with this firm is the level of intelligent analysis and creativity brought to the process and a willingness to do more. They are not simply focused on massaging numbers, but provide a reasoned, coherent, and clear approach in their reports and on the stands.”
John Chanin, Esq., Lindquest + Vennum
“These are knowledgeable individuals with vast experience in the industry. They are able to assist in the analysis of a situation and provide opinions in both written reports and expert testimony in a very clear and understandable manner.”
Perry Glantz, Esq. – Stinson, Morrison and Hecker
“Gary Schwartz is responsive, has great qualifications, and works with a team of skilled and intelligent people. Gary and his team went the extra mile in providing input and information that helped me destroy an opposing expert on cross examination. I would definitely recommend Gary Schwartz and this firm.”
Brian Berardini, Esq. – Brown, Berardini & Dunning, P.C.
“What they did on my case was incredible and really effective in court. The firm built a program that enabled us to deal with years of detailed records in a way that cleared the way for an open and shut case for victim restitution. I have already and will continue to recommend Sheri Betzer and Matt Lausten.”
Daniel T. Smith, Esq.
“If, as Judge Friendly succinctly noted in his landmark holding in U.S. v. Kovel, 296 F.2d (Cir. 1962), ‘accounting concepts are a foreign language to some lawyers in almost all cases, and to almost all lawyers in some cases,’ then Sheri Betzer is an indispensable ‘linguist’ in any complex tax controversy, civil or criminal.”
Joseph H. Thibodeau, Esq., Civil & Criminal Tax Controversy Trial Lawyer for more than 30 years (Fellow American College of Tax Council; Best Lawyers in America and Martindale-Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers)
“As a recognized leader in the forensic accounting industry, Sheri serves as a frequent instructor to other CPAs on fraud investigation. Her depth of experience in both the public and private sector give her a wealth of expertise to draw upon and outstanding credibility on the witness stand. She’s an asset to any case and I highly recommend her.
“In U.S. District Court on one of our cases, Sheri Betzer’s depth of experience as a former IRS revenue agent in the criminal division proved critically valuable in testifying against the IRS. Sheri was able to analyze and convincingly demonstrate that the expert witness for the IRS had made incorrect assumptions about the underlying data in the case. This resulted in the judge ruling that the methodology presented by the IRS was not admissible, based on Sheri’s testimony.
“She is meticulous, thorough, well organized and exactly the person you would want on your case, which is why I’ve brought her in on a number of our cases. She has an excellent ability to communicate on the witness stand, presenting an honest, trustworthy, straight forward, no nonsense expert opinion about the evidence or issues she reviews. More than that, Sheri effectively communicates the intricate details in a way that a lawyer and a jury can understand. In offering expert testimony, she is a great teacher on the witness stand.”
Brian Holland, Esq.
Formerly of Recht Kornfeld, PC
“Sheri helped my agency understand a very complex financial transaction and all aspects of developing the case.
“It is very obvious to everyone who works with Sheri Betzer or watches her that she is a foremost expert and simply exudes leadership. Even opposing financial experts are very deferential to her judgment and prior teachings. The expert hired by opposing counsel [in a recent case where I used Sheri] had attended many of her classes and declared them seminal in the field of forensic accounting and fraud investigations.
“Her performance in court was praised by our judge, who called her very persuasive. She is an expert consultant, witness of the highest caliber and possesses excellent interpersonal skills. Litigation can be antagonistic, and she has the right personality for dealing with that. She does not let anything become personal and is very steady.”
(Confidentiality issues prohibit the use of the name of this client organization.)
“In most criminal tax cases, the calculation of the actual tax loss will impact on the sentence that can be imposed under the Federal sentencing guidelines. As such, there is a need for a competent forensic tax expert to review the government file and then be in a position to present the defense’s case regarding the tax loss. This may include in some cases an opinion of whether there was a taxable event, whether there could be additional deductions that were not claimed, or whether other deductions claimed were allowable.”
“Sheri has worked on many of my difficult civil and criminal matters for more than a decade. These cases needed to be analyzed for errors and omissions made by the Internal Revenue Service in arriving at income omissions, expense overstatements or other calculations that ultimately would determine tax liability. Sheri’s work product was then provided to the government. The cases were usually resolved without going to trial based upon her calculations.”
“In one case, the government in their criminal case relied upon several deductions which were alleged to be fraudulent. Sheri Betzer’s analysis disclosed that the alleged fraudulent deductions were not even deducted on the tax return in the first instance. By reviewing the government’s own file, Sheri discovered that the revenue agent had failed to reconcile the tax return with the taxpayer’s books and records, which is the first step a revenue agent is supposed to do when auditing a tax return. The government prosecutor declined to prosecute the case for obvious reasons.”
“Sheri also is a very good witness who has the ability to communicate to the judge and/or jury her conclusions in a sincere and simple fashion. Sheri knows how to communicate in a non-confrontational and convincing manner what all the numbers mean.”
Stephen E. Silver, Esq.
Silver Law PLC
“As an expert witness Sheri is professional, independent and impartial.
“I have retained Sheri several times, because her integrity is never influenced by a fee; simply put, she reaches the correct results and can support her conclusions. She conveys her conclusions in a way that is clearly understood and credibly communicated with clients, jury, opposing council and the judge.
“She is exceptionally thorough, has great attention to detail, and is accurate and reliable in her product. Additionally, she is very well educated in her subject area of tax and accounting. It’s a pleasure working with her.
“Most recently, we used her on an extremely complicated case, where she reduced the complicated concepts and information to an elementary level. She was the ‘professor in the courtroom’ and her approach came across very successfully in the case, which we won.”
Sean Velarde, Esq., – Burns, Figa & Will, P.C.
“I think of Sheri whenever I have an IRS problem. Sheri is competent, reliable, and I know she will give me a straight answer. I value Sheri’s experience.”
Judy Olsen, CPA – Olsen, Howard & Associates
“Sheri’s determined attention to detail in conjunction with her state-of-the-art knowledge have made her a most trustworthy confidant over the six years we have worked with her.”
John Kinkade, Director of the Columbine Gallery and the National Sculptor’s Guild
“After a jury returned a verdict of acquittal in a major and very complex criminal tax case, several jurors in post trial interviews cited Sheri’s testimony as a major factor in their decision. She is a most competent CPA, highly knowledgeable in her areas of expertise, and I always have the utmost confidence and reliance in her analysis and suggestions.”
Ryan T. Corrigan CPA, MBA, CFE