Expert services in the resolution of accounting, financial loss, share valuation and fraud issues in business-related disputes
Our Partners, supported by our professional staff, are appointed as independent forensic accountants by claimants, defendants, or by both. Experience is extensive and across a wide range of industries. Accreditation as Expert Witness is with the ICAEW and The Academy of Experts and expert testimony has been given on many occasions. Appointments are made by local, national or international law firms or in-house counsel.
As a multidisciplinary accounting and business advisory firm, if required and in consultation with clients, we work with colleagues who are specialists in other areas, for example taxation, audit, and corporate finance or with relevant industry knowledge. Similarly, subject to separate engagement, we may also work alongside other experts, for example, specialists in commercial property valuations.
We are long established in providing forensic accounting services in the resolution of disputes and were early members of NIFA (Network of Independent Forensic Accountants).
What we do
In our advisory work, we assist clients and their legal advisers in clarifying issues and informing them objectively in their decision making in the resolution of disputes. In our expert witness work, pursuant to the applicable procedural rules, we also assist tribunals in their determination of issues should matters proceed to trial. In addition, we provide ADR dispute resolution services. Further information can be found below.
Our services
Our forensic accounting services, as may be required, include in particular:
- Advisory reports as independent accountant
- Expert witness reports (party- appointed or Single Joint Expert) through to attending to procedurally required expert witness stages including Questions to the Expert, considering the report(s) of the opposing expert, attending Meetings of Experts and the drafting of Joint Statements
- Delivering expert witness testimony at trial, and
- Mediation and pre-trial consultancy
Our work may involve, as needed:
- Investigation and forensic analysis
- The quantification of damages particularly loss of profits, and
- Business and share valuation
Case experience
Our experience includes:
- Shareholder disputes (contested buyout valuations; unfair prejudice claims)
- Business disputes (breach of contract, negligence, business interruption, unlawful distributions, directors’ misfeasance)
- M&A disputes (completion accounts, warranty claims)
- Partnership disputes
- Matrimonial disputes, and
- Fraud
ADR Dispute Resolution, Early Neutral Expert Evaluation
- Early Resolution, Shareholder Disputes, Independent Expert Services
Key financial issues in owner-manager shareholder disputes include share valuations, applicability of minority discounts and correction for any prejudicial conduct about which complaint has been made.
Circumstances may indeed be complex. Should it go to court, the dispute may be particularly drawn-out , disrupting, costly, and with little certainty about the eventual outcome.
However, early and meaningful focus by the parties on the key financial issues may sufficiently inform them in their decision- making at that stage and lead to early settlement resolution of their dispute. This may avoid the delay, disruption, costs and uncertainties of a full litigation process.
We are experienced providers of preliminary limited -scope independent forensic accountant expert services for the key financial issues in shareholder disputes. This can be on a party or jointly appointed advisory basis, or if a neutral tribunal process is required, by way of non- binding expert determination procedure agreed with the parties.
ADR Dispute Resolution, Expert Determination
We provide expert determiner services to resolve disputes by the issue focussed private ADR procedure of expert determination.
Ordinarily, this is in relation to:
- Completion accounts, purchase price adjustment and deferred consideration in M&A disputes; and
- Share valuation issues in shareholder disputes.
We accept appointments directly from the parties in dispute or via appointing authorities on their behalf including the ICAEW and The Academy of Experts.
ADR Dispute Resolution, Arbitration
We provide arbitrator services, appointed by parties, or appointing authorities, to resolve their business disputes by the private ADR procedure of arbitration, an alternative to rigidly formal and public court litigation. This includes issues of liability through to damages, quantum, interest and costs.
- M&A disputes;
- Commercial disputes; and
- Shareholder, joint venture and partnership disputes.
The arbitrations are conducted on an ad hoc or institutional rules basis and are subject to the applicable English arbitration law.
Contact Daniel Djanogly or Bee-Lean Chew for an exploratory discussion or to discuss how we may be able to help in a particular matter.
Parties are advised to take professional legal advice on the suitability of any dispute resolution process for their needs and that of their dispute and in the conduct of any such process. Please note that given the neutral nature of ADR dispute resolution roles, communications in this regard will be on a disclosable basis.
Meet your forensic accountants


Chairman & Statutory Director
Jitendra Pattani’s portfolio of corporate and personal tax clients covers a wide range of business sectors, with particular focus and expertise in the hotels, renewable energy and fashion retail sectors, where he acts for several high net-worth clients with an international presence. Jitendra offers his clients technical expertise in areas that encompass corporate finance, including the due diligence of acquisitions and disposals and forensic accounting.
Special assignments undertaken by Jitendra include:
- advising on overall refinancing facilities of over £750 million for a substantial hotel group in Central London;
- advising on the £260 million acquisition of a hotel in Central London;
- advising on the £100 million sale of a hotel in Central London;
- advising on the portfolio sale of a collection of solar farms with a gross deal value of in excess of £50 million;
- acting as part of an expert witness team assisting the High Court in relation to a client’s claim for damages against a major Utilities company, where substantial damages of £2.7 million were awarded by the High Court in a landmark case.
Jitendra joined Wilder Coe in 1991 as an Audit Supervisor, was appointed as the firm’s Managing Partner in 2017 and appointed as Chairman in 2023.
He heads up Wilder Coe’s India desk, and in 2010 was awarded a British Government full Scholarship to attend an Executive Programme at the IM Ahmedabad, acclaimed as India’s Harvard, and ranked as one of the top international business schools. Through the programme, Jitendra gained valuable practical insight into the Indian markets and was able to cultivate a valuable network of contacts, aiding both Wilder Coe Ltd and our clients in business dealings in India.
Professional Memberships
- A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
Professional Areas of Expertise
- Audit
- Tax Planning
- Corporate Finance
- Forensic Accounting
- Management
Sectors of Expertise
- Renewable Energy
- Hotels
- Fashion Retail
Qualifications
- FCA
Read Jitendra Pattani’s latest insights:


Managing Partner & Statutory Director
Bee-Lean Chew provides her clients with a clear and understandable presentation of facts, in all matters relating to Forensic Accounting. As an experienced member of the Forensic Accounting team and a Certified Fraud Examiner, Bee can support you with personal and corporate investigations.
Her expertise extends to the greater corporate arena where she has years of experience in audit, financial reporting and taxation. She has advised clients of all sizes, including multi-national groups, on designing and implementing financial management systems. She is particularly adept at complex IT structures and internal controls. She acts as the principal in due diligence, forensic accounting and valuation assignments.
Bee also provides CPD training to solicitors and fellow business professionals.
Bee-Lean Chew trained with Wilder Coe and became a Partner in 2005. Bee became the Joint Managing Partner of Wilder Coe, alongside Robert Bradman, in 2023.
As well as being a Chartered Accountant, Bee has a degree in Law from Kent University, a Master's Degree in Finance from the University of Strathclyde, and is an ICAEW-accredited Forensic Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
Professional Memberships
- Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
- Member, Network of Independent Forensic Accountants
- Accredited Member of The Academy of Experts
- ICAEW-Accredited Forensic Accountant
- Member of ICAEW Audit and Assurance Faculty
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
Professional Areas of Expertise
- Audit
- Taxation
- Forensic Accounting
- Financial Reporting
- Fraud
Qualifications
- FCA
- MAE (Member of the Academy of Experts)
- CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner)
Read Bee-Lean Chew’s latest insights:
- How can forensic accounting help you and your clients? - 28 Feb 23
- Richmond Half-Marathon Fundraiser - 18 Nov 22
- Investigating false accounting allegations - 24 Aug 22


Partner (Tax)
Jamie Muirhead is a tax partner at Wilder Coe Ltd since April 2024, based in the City of London.
He advises on all aspects of UK tax compliance, with a particular focus on corporate and business taxes and cross-border work, and currently leads the Corporation Tax team at Wilder Coe Ltd.
Jamie also provides commercially focused tax advice to large corporate groups, international businesses and owner-managed companies across the full spectrum of UK business taxes.
He is experienced leading cross-border tax projects, M&A transaction support assignments, restructuring and reorganisation, and strategic advisory work, including to private equity-backed businesses and investors, and is known for providing practical, commercially driven advice aligned to wider business objectives.
He is a Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) and a Chartered Accountant (ACA)
Areas of Expertise
- UK corporation tax and business taxes
- Cross-border & international tax
- Large corporate groups
- Transaction tax, M&A transaction support and tax covenant advice
- Tax-efficient acquisition and finance Structuring
- Tax due diligence
- Tax efficient exit structuring
- Group reorganisations
- HMRC enquiries & tax risk management
- Tax expert witness work and tax advice in the context of disputes
Experience
Jamie advises businesses on complex corporation tax and wider business tax matters, with particular expertise in transactions, structuring and international tax issues.
Representative experience includes:
- Advising on a series of complex deals in the hospitality sector, from refinancing with an international private credit lender on gross assets in excess of £1billion, to a landmark hotel sale in central London.
- Assisting an overseas buyer on the purchase of a small UK trading business, using both group and 3rd party funds, delivering tax efficient finance and acquisition structuring advice and implementation assistance, together with due diligence and SPA support.
- Assist UK and international groups on cross-border structuring, expansion projects and tax risk management, including in respect of international employees and global talent acquisition, managing payroll, VAT and permanent establishment risk.
- Advise an emerging VC fund on the restructure of investment holdings and financing loans to facilitate future growth plans.
- Assist an owner managed cross boarder group on a tax efficient management incentive plan and ‘buy-in’.
- Advising large corporate groups on tax governance, risk management and HMRC matters, group interest and loss planning, and on implementation of the response to legislative changes, including the corporate interest restriction, electricity generator levy and pillar 2.
- Providing expert advice and input on commercial matters including tax cashflow modelling and investment analysis.
- Acting as tax expert and advisor in commercial disputes and litigation matters, including in respect of a liquidated damages claim under an SPA, shareholder disputes, and the quantification of latent uncrystallised tax liabilities in a family dispute with cross-boarder marital assets.
Jamie works closely with boards, CFOs, investors, lawyers and corporate finance advisers to deliver commercially focused solutions on complex tax matters.
Professional Memberships
- Member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
- Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT)
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) Cantab
- ACA
- CTA


Partner (Forensic Accounting and Dispute Resolution)
Daniel is based in the City of London and has extensive experience (since 1993) in the resolution of business-related disputes as a forensic accountant expert witness, ADR early neutral expert evaluator, expert determiner or arbitrator. He acts across a wide range of industries and specialises in contested accounting, financial loss and share valuation issues in M&A, shareholder, partnership and other complex disputes, including fraud. Daniel is a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Arbitrator.
Areas of Expertise
- Forensic Accounting
- Early Neutral Expert Evaluation
- Expert Determination
- Arbitration
Experience
Case Experience Includes:
-
Business disputes (contract, negligence, loss of profits, business Interruption)
-
Shareholder disputes (contested share valuations, unfair prejudice)
-
M&A disputes (warranties, completion accounts, purchase price adjustment, deferred consideration)
-
Partnership disputes
-
Fraud
Representative experience includes:
- Forensic accountant expert witness for the claimant, proprietor of a leading consumer brand, in relation to a counter- claim by its licensee. The licensee claimed substantial financial losses particularly loss of profits, for alleged early termination of the brand licencing agreement in breach of its terms.
- Forensic accountant expert witness for the claimant, an industrial conglomerate, in a claim under an indemnification agreement made in a preceding group reorganisation. The remit involved assisting the Court address certain complex factual issues by reference to the historic financial and management information available.
- Forensic accountant expert witness for the defendant, majority shareholder in an established operator of nightlife entertainment venues, in a S994 CA 2006 unfair prejudice claim by the minority shareholders in the subject group of companies. The remit concerned the valuation of the minority shareholding for compensatory buyout purposes and on a basis directed by the Court to allow for sale of business at under value and other issues in respect of which complaint had been made.
- Forensic accountant expert witness for the defendant, a specialist medical equipment manufacturer, in a claim in international arbitration proceedings for breach of commercial agency agreement by its overseas distributor. The remit concerned the claimed loss of profits and the quantum thereof.
- Forensic accountant single joint expert (SJE) in a claim for loss of opportunity by an engineering company arising from its claimed loss of a corporate acquisition opportunity due to alleged fraudulent misrepresentations by the vendors of the previous company it had acquired. The remit concerned assessment of the claimed financial losses including loss of capital value had the second acquisition taken place.
- Forensic accountant expert adviser for the claimant, the liquidator of a group of companies, in a misfeasance claim against directors for alleged unlawful distributions. The work included detailed consideration and forensic analysis of the available accounting and other evidence in connection with the subject issue, the relevant group entities, the applicable accounting and company law regimes, matters concerning capital reductions, solvency statements and contingent liabilities, and monetary flows.
- Forensic accountant expert adviser for the defendant, proprietor vendor, in mediation proceedings in a claim for breach of warranties and misrepresentation in connection with the sale of a specialist international media company. The remit concerned the financial loss claimed including in relation to the valuation of the subject company.
- Independent accountant expert determiner in a share purchase agreement (SPA) dispute about the completion accounts for acquired market leading niche technology manufacturer. The dispute involved issues of jurisdiction and complex contractual requirements including the application of globally accepted international accounting principles (IFRS).
- Independent accountant expert determiner in a shareholder dispute involving a multi-generational family business operating a chain of niche retail shops and engaged in property investment and development. The issue for determination was the valuation of the issued shares for the purposes of the buy-out of the outgoing group of shareholders.
- Independent accountant expert determiner in a share purchase agreement (SPA) dispute about the deferred consideration based on and subject to the acquired company achieving defined levels of financial performance in the set earn-out period. The reference included preliminary issue determination in respect of jurisdiction, and analysis and consideration of numerous matters of accounting treatment and in relation to contractual arrangements
- Sole arbitrator in a statutory arbitration. The dispute concerned business disruption and financial compensation (including loss of profits) resulting from extensive and long running street works near the subject business, a new and used car dealership located on a high-street of a regional town, by a utilities company.
- Sole arbitrator in a commercial dispute concerning alleged breaches of a contract between the parties in a supply chain for public services. The matter involved complex end user charging arrangements and fee charging arrangements between the parties.
- Sole arbitrator in a partnership (1890 Partnership Act) dispute concerning a law firm specialising in litigation. The matter involved many parties, numerous legal, procedural, accounting and valuation issues, and a required series of arbitration awards.
- Independent accountant early neutral expert evaluator, in a shareholder/ director dispute concerning director’s expenses. The subject entity operated hospitality industry sites at various regional towns.
- Independent accountant early neutral expert evaluator, assisting founder and new investor shareholders in a group of companies resolve an issue between them about the buyout valuation of the shareholdings of the exiting founder team. The issues to address were the valuation of the subject shareholdings and the impact of minority discount (subject to strategic control considerations). The work involved consideration of valuation methodology, the inter-company trading relationship, the group’s earnings prospects, and past transactions in its shares.
Professional Memberships
- Fellow of the ICAEW
- Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
- Full Member of The Academy of Experts
Qualifications
- Chartered Accountant
- Chartered Arbitrator (CArb)
- Member of the Academy of Experts (MAE) and Qualified Dispute Resolver


