When opposing counsel retains a forensic accountant, the quality of your rebuttal report can be the difference between a strong settlement and a weaker trial outcome. Colorado attorneys handling complex commercial litigation, fraud cases, and damages disputes rely on Hovland Forensic for rebuttal reports that hold up under Daubert scrutiny and give litigation counsel a concrete foundation for cross-examination.
Inaccurate cash-flow calculations, cherry-picked data, or methodological leaps can shift damages by six figures, and Colorado attorneys can’t afford to let a flawed expert report stand. Our job is to tear them down, politely, with court-admissible numbers, as a certified rebuttal witness ready for Colorado courts.
Quick math review to reveal the biggest red flags.
Complete de-construction of opposing report, line-by-line citations.
Calculate correct damages; build rebuttal tables.
Question-prep pack + sworn testimony delivered.
Not all forensic accountants are effective rebuttal experts. The skills required to dismantle an opposing expert's report are distinct from those needed for a primary investigation. Before retaining a rebuttal expert witness, Colorado litigation attorneys should evaluate these four criteria:
| What to Look For | Why It Matters | Hovland Forensic |
|---|---|---|
| Clean Daubert Record | Rebuttal testimony is subject to the same admissibility standards as primary expert testimony. A prior exclusion weakens your case before cross-examination begins. | Zero Daubert challenges in 25+ years of expert witness engagements |
| Dedicated Rebuttal Experience | Identifying methodological flaws and mathematical errors in someone else's report is a distinct skill from primary investigation. Not all forensic accountants do this well. | Extensive rebuttal report experience across commercial litigation, fraud, and damages disputes |
| Fast Turnaround | Rebuttal disclosure deadlines are typically tight. An expert who cannot commit to your timeline creates unnecessary risk for the engagement. | Same-day intake with deadline-sensitive scheduling built into every rebuttal engagement |
| Direct Senior Access | The expert who signs the rebuttal report should be the expert who conducted the analysis. Junior staff doing the work while a senior partner signs creates credibility risk under cross-examination. | Steve Hovland, CPA, CRFAC personally conducts every rebuttal engagement from analysis through testimony |
Received an opposing expert report that needs rebutting? Hovland Forensic provides same-day intake for rebuttal engagements and works directly with Colorado litigation counsel on tight disclosure deadlines. Schedule a free confidential consultation →
Lost Profits – Reported vs Reality
Opposing expert reported incurred past and future losses totaled $1.3M.
We reviewed the opposing expert’s report plus data he used. We noted that the opposing expert failed to link the lost profits to alleged actions; incorrectly calculated lost profits based solely on cash receipts; did not consider whether his client even had workload capacity; never determine whether client would be made whole; lacked support for interest rate for present value calculation; and calculated worklife expectancy well into client’s 90s.
With the volume of errors in the opposing expert’s report, the judge ruled against the opposing expert’s client.
Expert Witness Credentials
Steve Hovland, CPA, CRFAC is listed on the SEAK Expert Witness Directory — the leading national directory used by litigation attorneys to locate and vet forensic accounting expert witnesses. Hovland Forensic is currently the only listed forensic accounting expert witness based in Colorado.
Hovland Forensic serves as an expert rebuttal witness for attorneys and law firms throughout Colorado, including Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder, Pueblo, and Grand Junction, as well as clients nationwide.
