Professional Negligence Business Valuation Expert Witness
When a claimant alleges that an accountant or business valuer provided negligent advice - for example overvaluing an acquisition target or failing to identify material liabilities - an expert witness prepares a but-for valuation showing correct value and quantifies loss caused by the negligence.
The expert assesses whether the defendant's methodology, assumptions, and conclusions fell below the standard of care expected of a reasonably competent valuer, and if so, by how much. SRA and ICAEW professional standards may inform the analysis.
These claims are typically litigated under CPR Part 35 in the Business and Property Courts, with parallel professional discipline proceedings possible.
Common questions
- When is a valuation expert needed in professional negligence claims?
- When a claimant alleges that an accountant or valuer provided a negligent valuation - for example, advising on a business purchase at an overvalue, or failing to identify hidden liabilities - an expert prepares a but-for valuation showing what the correct value would have been and quantifying the loss caused by the negligence.
- What standard of care applies to business valuers?
- Business valuers must exercise the skill and care of a reasonably competent valuer in their field. In professional negligence cases, the expert witness assesses whether the defendant's methodology, assumptions, and conclusions fell below this standard - and if so, by how much.
Next step
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