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J.S. Held Acquires Shechter & Everett to Expand Forensic Accounting Capabilities for Family Law Disputes in Florida
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Timothy "Tim" Gillihan joined J.S. Held in the summer of 2019 as part of the HSNO acquisition. He is an Executive Vice President in our Economic Damages & Valuations practice and is based out of San Francisco, California. Tim specializes in quantifying damages, particularly in commercial litigation, as well as in first-party property losses, third-party liability cases, and fidelity matters. He is also engaged in analyzing business valuations, trust/estate disputes, and personal injury cases.
Tim is recognized for his calm demeanor and fact-driven approach, which is particularly useful when being cross-examined on the witness stand.
“From early on, Tim has been determined to develop his skills and reputation in forensic accounting and economics. He has been very successful in the growth of his career, but more importantly, he has become a valuable leader and mentor in our practice.”
Mark Newton
Tim recalls what it was like being raised in a single-income household as one of five boys. While he did not lack for anything, he was aware of the financial pressure his parents were under. This motivated him to pursue a career in finance and set himself up for a life without the same financial stress his parents faced.
Tim graduated in 2005 from Indiana University with degrees in both finance and accounting. Upon graduation, his professional interests focused on real estate, which led to his first job working at a small audit firm in Indianapolis. His girlfriend at the time, who is now his wife, was dreaming of a warm return to California, where she was originally from. So, Tim began exploring new opportunities on the Golden Coast. While on vacation in San Francisco, Tim set up job interviews and ultimately accepted a position with HSNO, where he remained until the company was acquired by J.S. Held in June of 2019.
Tim has always been particularly drawn to forensic accounting. “It has much more of a finance angle, which took advantage of my accounting degree, as well as my passion and knowledge of finance. There are no black-and-white answers. In taxes and auditing, there is only one answer, but with forensic accounting, each project presents a unique set of challenges that require independent analysis in order to determine what the calculation should be, and that appeals to me,” said Tim.
Tim is regularly engaged in addressing financial matters and disputes for the insurance and legal communities, as well as public and private owners.
An example of Tim’s involvement in a project is the performance of an evaluation to determine lost income during the period required to restore an apartment complex to service after it has experienced damage from a tornado, hurricane, flood, or fire. Another would be applying his specialized expertise in stadium finances and operations to deliver litigation support in financial disputes between a city and the sports team that rents the local stadium.
Tim recalls one case he consulted on that involved an individual who leased space within a mall to build a restaurant. In addition to being the owner of the restaurant, this individual was also the contractor, hiring himself to perform the construction work. After close to six years of no progress, the landlord requested that he vacate the mall. A settlement was reached between the landlord and restaurant owner, who would be reimbursed for money already spent. However, when asked to produce the documentation, the settlement amount had increased to nearly 10 times what was originally agreed upon. Timothy was tasked with determining the legitimacy of the invoices and verifying the actual expenditure on the project.
A growing area in which Tim has been engaged is the field of cannabis litigation, including evaluating damages resulting from landlord actions following legislative changes.
Throughout his life, Tim has been a passionate advocate for community involvement. During his college years, he coached youth tee-ball and basketball at his local YMCA and was involved in summer sports programs for at-risk youth. More recently, Tim has been involved with the San Francisco Little League and is looking forward to coaching t-ball (also known as herding cats).
Tim also enjoys cooking with his seven and four-year-old sons, encouraging them to taste and explore new flavors and textures. “It brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction seeing them enjoy food,” says Tim.
“One of the most impactful things we can do with expertise is teach and mentor the next generation of talent, and I look forward to doing more of that.”
Tim Gillihan
Interested in learning more about Timothy Gillihan? Send him an email at [email protected] or connect with him on LinkedIn.
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