News

PATRICK J. DOLAN OF CJBS AWARDED CFE CERTIFICATION

NORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS, January 24, 2011 — Patrick J. Dolan, Audit Manager for CJBS, LLC has been designated as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (AFCE), an association the Wall Street Journal calls, "The premier financial sleuthing organization."

To meet the requirements established by the AFCE for CFE certification, Dolan successfully demonstrated expertise in four areas critical to the identification of fraud: Fraudulent Financial Transactions; Fraud Prevention and Deterrence; Legal Elements of Fraud and Fraud Investigation.

CFEs are accounting professionals called upon to conduct forensic accounting in order to identify fraudulent transactions, interview suspects in order to best determine the facts of a case, create investigative reports informing clients of their findings, testify at trials, demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of laws regarding finance and fraud and identify the conditions that create an environment in which financial fraud is likely to exist. To date, CFEs on six continents have investigated over one million suspected cases of civil and criminal fraud.

Along with his new CFE designation, Patrick Dolan is a certified public accountant (CPA), and is certified in financial forensics (CFF). He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a Major in Accounting from Western Michigan University. Mr. Dolan is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois CPA Society and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Patrick is also a member of the Audit and Assurance service committee of the Illinois Society of CPAs and a past board director of the Michigan CPAs.

Click here to view a PDF of the official press release.

CJBS NAMES MATTHEW BERGMAN AS MEMBER OF THE FIRM

NORTHBROOK, Illinois, December 9, 2011 – Matthew S. Bergman, CPA, a Senior Manager involved in auditing, accounting, tax and business development projects at CJBS, LLC, Northbrook, Illinois, has recently been named as a member of the firm.

Mr. Bergman specializes in working with small to mid-size closely held businesses, with a focus on medical, dental, real estate, and service firms. Along with managing a team of accounting professionals, Mr. Bergman personally provides his clients with a range of services which include budgeting and forecasts, debt procurement, business start-up procedures, mergers & acquisitions, retirement plan design, and tax return preparation.

Matthew Bergman joined CJBS in 1997 and was promoted to the position of Manager in 2004. He received his BS degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois, Champaign, in 1996, and received his CPA certification in 2011. He is a member of the AICPA, the Illinois CPA Society and the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce.

Click here to view a PDF of the official press release.

CJBS VOLUNTEERS FOR EQUESTRIAN CONNECTION

On Friday, September 24, 2010, twenty-six CJBS staff members swept out stalls, scrubbed a barn and cleaned up the corral as part of the Illinois CPA Society's inaugural CPA Day of Service. The CJBS team volunteered to pitch in to help Equestrian Connection in Lake Forest, Illinois get ready for its annual Marty's Barn Party fundraiser, which was held on October 2nd. Equestrian Connection provides therapeutic riding, art therapy and equine assisted psycho therapy for those with disabilities and their families.

According to Mary Fredericks, CJBS Office Administrator, "We typically have a Summer Outing where the staff kind of takes a break one afternoon to kick back and socialize with each other. When we found out about the CPA Day of Service we decided that this could take the place of the Summer Outing - we'd still all be together, but we could help out an organization by volunteering our time. And the partners, managers and staff were all for it."

The CJBS volunteers put on black CPA Day of Service t-shirts and, being accounting professionals, organized the project by dividing the team into four groups: the 'A' Group worked on the outside part of the barns; weeding, mowing, and sprucing up the outside area. The 'B' Group worked inside the barn where they wiped down the aisle wall, got rid of cobwebs, and cleaned the inside and outside of the horse stalls. The 'C' Group helped make centerpieces for the Barn Party, and the 'D' Group worked with the horses and trainers who work with the clients at Equestrian Connection."

Partner Jeff Stuart, who manned a mower in the corral, thought it was a fun day for a great cause. "It was good to get everybody out of the office and contribute to a very worthy cause," said Jeff. "We're glad that we could help out - even if it was in a small way to help Equestrian Connection get ready for their fund raiser."

Sue Miller, a CJBS team member and avid animal lover, also enjoyed the volunteer experience. "It was such a great experience to work with the kids and horses. It was amazing to see how gentle and patient the horses are with every child."

Partner Andrew Lotts summed up the day by saying, "We provide professional services to the not-for-profit community all year. This was a great opportunity for the firm to give something back on a more personal level."

Mary Fredericks agreed. "Many of us felt that this was the best Summer Outing our firm has had, and many employees are eager to do it again next year."

State-wide, more than 900 CPAs participated in the CPA Day of Service, which was organized by the Illinois CPA Society with the growing needs of social service agencies and organizations in mind during the current tough economic climate.

Equestrian Connection was cofounded in 2001 by a mother of disabled twins to fill the void in social services and therapies for those with disabilities. The organization has grown to serve over 220 individuals weekly at its 26,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility, located on 10 acres in Lake Forest, Illinois. More information about Equestrian Connection can be found at www.equestrianconnection.com.

CJBS RECEIVES SECOND CERTIFICATION IN
FORENSIC ACCOUNTING

NORTHBROOK, Illinois, August 25, 2009 – Catherine Eusebio, a Senior Forensic Associate and member of the Financial Investigation and Litigation Support team at CJBS, Northbrook, Illinois, has received the designation of Certified Financial Forensic Analyst (CFFA) accredited by the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA). The NACVA certification process required fifty hours of class room forensic studies and the passing of an eight hour examination.

Forensic accounting is the practice of financial investigation using business records, bank statements, and tax returns for the purpose of deciphering complicated data and preparing reports for attorneys to use in research, negotiations or court proceedings. In private practice, forensic accounting is used to help clarify and resolve a wide number of legal disputes, including shareholder disagreements, malpractice claims, business dissolutions, bankruptcy proceedings, and divorce proceedings, as well as fraud and embezzlement.

According to Larry Goldsmith, partner at CJBS and leader of the firm's Financial Investigation and Litigation Support group, "The recognition by attorneys of forensic accounting as an important tool in the litigation process has been steadily increasing.CJBS has offered forensic investigation and consulting services to its clients for years and we continue to expand our capabilities in that area. Catherine's recent certification provides the firm with additional resources and capabilities in a growing area of our practice."

Ms. Eusebio received a degree in Accounting and Finance from Loyola University and is a member of the AICPA and the Illinois CPA Society. Prior to joining CJBS in December, 2008, Ms. Eusebio was a Senior Audit Associate with the Reznick Group.

CJBS PARTNER LARRY GOLDSMITH RECEIVES DUAL CERTIFICATION IN FORENSIC ACCOUNTING

NORTHBROOK, Illinois, January 27, 2009 – Larry Goldsmith, JD, CPA, and member of the Litigation, Asset Protection and Tax Practices teams at CJBS, Northbrook, Illinois, has received the designation of Certified Financial Forensic Analyst (CFFA) accredited by the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA). He has also received a Certified Financial Forensic certificate from the AICPA parent organization of the certified public accounting (CPA) industry. The NACVA certification process required fifty hours of class room forensic studies and the passing of an eight hour examination.

According to Mr. Goldsmith, who is both a licensed attorney and a certified public accountant, "The field of forensic accounting, which is really the art of finding what others are trying to hide, has increasingly become a science. Traditionally, a CPA enters the profession with knowledge in tax and accounting issues, but with limited familiarity with the process of discovering evidence, calculating damages and forensic skills. Forensic accounting is where the legal and accounting professions intersect. They work as partners in handling and proving litigation matters."

Mr. Goldsmith, who has more than 30 years experience as an accountant and has been appointed as an expert witness in more than 50 court cases, added, "As an attorney and a licensed CPA, forensic accounting is a natural area of specialization for me. My background and experience has enabled me to help lawyers and their clients quickly determine the extent of damages or the defenses available in commercial litigation and divorce. The intensive forensic accounting study course I have recently completed will make my efforts more effective and efficient."