Jim Andersen
- CPA/CFF/ABV, ASA
- Santa Rosa
Jim’s career has spanned over 45 years and includes building one of the largest full service accounting firms in the North Bay. Over the last 30 years Jim’s focus shifted from his extensive tax background to business valuation, financial consulting, and the forensic consulting arena. He is a nationally recognized leader in business valuation and has utilized his valuation skill sets to work with the legal community on a regular basis in areas of complex partnership, corporate, and dissenting shareholder actions as well as economic damage and other forensic accounting assignments. He has provided testimony on a variety of forensic assignments throughout California. Jim’s current emphasis with the legal community involves joint retention assignments and acting as a consultant to law firms, analyzing the financial aspects of cases, including evaluating the merits of other experts’ reports.
On the financial consulting side, Jim has performed hundreds of valuations for mergers and acquisitions, estate and gift matters, and buy/sell agreements. He acts as a financial facilitator for numerous companies and assists businesses in a broad spectrum of industries and professions in business succession planning and exit strategies. The winery industry has been of particular interest to Jim. He has been involved in more than 50 winery assignments with experience in both strategic consulting and complex litigation matters.
Teaching, writing, and public speaking are passions of Jim. He has been an instructor at the national level for the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and has spoken frequently at many of their annual valuation and forensic accounting symposiums. Jim has written and presented several courses for the California Society of CPAs.
Jim has also been very active with national and state valuation and forensic accounting activities. He was a member of the Forensic Services Section Steering Committee (FSS) of the California Society of CPAs for over 20 years; a past chairman of the business valuation section of the FSS; and has chaired conferences for both the AICPA and the California Society of CPAs.
Jim graduated with a degree in accounting from California State University in Chico and has a Master’s Degree in Taxation from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He is also a senior member of the American Society of Appraisers, is accredited in business valuation by the American Institute of CPAs, and holds its Certified in Financial Forensics credential.
Golden Gate University, M.S., Taxation, 1976
California State University, Chico, B.S., Business Administration (Accounting), 1970
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Member
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
Member
Litigation Section Steering Committee
Sonoma County Bar Association
Member, Lay Arbitrators of the SCBA
American Society of Appraisers
Member
“So You Want to File a Dissenting Shareholder Action? Think Twice,”originally published in The Witness Chair, CalCPA Forensic Services Section, Issue 57, Summer 2012
“The Trials and Tribulations of Owning Your Own Business – Understanding the Risk/Reward Ratio,” originally published in the North Bay Business Journal, September 2010
“Facing Reality, Getting Real, and Growing to Another Level,” originally published in the North Bay Business Journal, July 2010
“Successful Exit Strategies in Business – Lessons Learned over the Last 10 Years,” originally published in the North Bay Business Journal, May 2010
“Value Propositions – 10 Common Errors to Avoid in Expert Valuations,” originally published in The Recorder, 2008
“How Can a CPA Help Litigators?” originally published in Key Value Data, October 2007
“Business Succession Planning and Exit Strategies,” CalCPA Education Foundation, 2014
“Valuation of Winery Brands and Operations,” Building Value in the Wine Business and Planning for Purchase, Sale and Succession Conference, The Seminar Group, 2013
“Direct and Cross Examination of an Expert in a Personal Injury Damage Case – Avoiding the Pitfalls,” American Board of Trial Attorneys, 2013
“Managing, Marketing and Making Money in an FVS Practice,” FVS Conference, AICPA, 2012
“Staff Development in a FVS Practice,” FVS Conference, AICPA, 2012
“Valuing Wineries and Breweries,” Business Valuation Resources Webinar, 2012
“Valuing Dental Practices,” Business Valuation Resources Webinar, 2012
“Opportunities and Methodologies for Running a Successful Litigation Practice,” Contributing Author, Education Foundation, CalCPA, 2011 – Present
“Succession Planning & Exit Strategies: Challenges and Opportunities Today,” Business Valuation Resources Webinar, 2010
“Capitalization Rates: Developing, Defending & Explaining.” Business Valuation Conference, CalCPA, 2010
