The experts at Sed Quaere possess state of the art tools in the arena of computer forensics to allow the practice to play a vital role in resolving matters in the corporate world and litigation process by enhancing the evidence pool, establishing truths otherwise undiscovered and, consequently, contributing to more efficient and rapid resolutions, judgements and settlements.
Forensic accounting coupled with computer forensics and electronic discovery is becoming more a part of the litigation landscape. Attorneys, CPAs, municipalities, insurance companies and other professionals are seeing first hand. Our firm is comitted to accomplishing the client's objectives up to the standards expected from us.
We are one of the few companies that possess both the accounting and IT skills necessary to efficiently perform forensics in today's world.
Forensic Accounting
Our forensic accounting practice includes but is not limited to:
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Business valuations
- Economic damage calculations
- Court appointed receivership
- Divorce asset allocation
- Expert witness testimony
- Trust related assistance
- Litigation support
- Investigative accounting
Whether it is criminal investigations, shareholder and partner disputes, personal injury claims, business interruption loss calculations, business or employee fraud investigations, matrimonial disputes, business economic losses, mediation, arbitration or professional negligence, forensic accounting should be used to assist with a fair and timely resolution.
Forensic accountants utilize investigative, accounting and auditing skills when performing an investigation. Sed Quaere has Certified Public Accountants and Certified Fraud Examiners with these critical skills. We possess the critical skills necessary to respond immediately and communicate effectively in a courtroom setting. Our staff is trained to look beyond the numbers and into the reality of each situation.
Our CPA's CFE's and IT personnel have extensive training in order to investigate and analyze financial evidence. We develop computerized applications to assist in the analysis ans presentation of financial evidence. In addition, we communicate our findings in the form of reports, exhibits and collections of documents. Finally, we assist in legal proceedings, including preparing visual aids to support trial evidence and testifying in court as expert witnesses.
Computer Forensics
Computer forensics plays a valuable role in solving technologycal challenges in both the business and legal communities. By definition, computer forensics focuses on the acquisition, restoration or analysis of electronic data. In the business environment, it can be thought of as a reactive technological practice deployed when something has gone wrong in its computing environment. Typical business-oriented computer forensic activities include the restoration of computed or lost data, resurrection of legacy, outdated systems and software environments, and analysis of common security breach activities.
The litigation-oriented practice called "electronic discovery" summarizes computer forensic-based mthods that support counsel evidential digital matter of solving objectives of pending and actual claims or lawsuits. When electronic data is actually or allegedly compromised (lost, stolen, manipulated, deleted) it can be of evidential value for a thereatened or actual lawsuit, this is when "electronic discovery" practices come into play.
In the accounting profession, computer forensics can be used with forensic accounting practices to provide more thorough, corroborated evidence position.
Electronic Discovery
Electronic discovery and forensic services are reactive in nature and are designed to assist the corporate environment and legal communities in anticipated and active litigation concerns. These services are approached as a systematic process at Sed Quqere, LP which our experts accomplish through the various stages:
- Identification
- Zone in on the client's objective. Develop a detailed understanding of the problem and/or issue.
- Acquisition
- Target potential soruces of objective data, implement preservation, discovery and production requests. Acquisition targets data within a forensic image, including active, hidden, fabricated, encoded, compressed, deleted, damaged, and altered information.
- Search
- The creation of search criteria to seek attributes and patterns such as key words or key phrases that are consistent with the objective.
- Analyze
- Depict relevant and responsive data and evidence. We use the application of critical, technical and analytical forensic expertise.
- Findings
- Presentation of the findings (evidence) in the form of writing oral and/or experts witness testimony of findings to support engagement objectives.
Electronic discovery and computer forensics have proven to be and continue to be looked at for their tremendous value as an effective tool in today's business environment and legal communities when administered by knowledgeable and experienced professionals who collaborate with executive to ultimately provide evidentiary matter that would otherwise not be uncovered.
Sed Quaere, LP
760 Las Posas Road, Ste. B1
Camarillo, CA 93010
805.445.7121 tel