Do you know how to calculate business valuation accurately when there are competing interests involved? It’s a question Grobstein Teeple’s business valuation expert, William Thomsen, has been answering for his clients for years.

Have you ever wondered how business valuation is determined in lost profits damages cases?

As a valuation specialist, it’s something William Thomsen thinks about all the time. 

The long-serving Grobstein Teeple Director has spent almost 40 years providing a range of highly specialized business valuation services.

He’s even contributed a chapter in the recently updated third edition of Shannon Pratt’s The Lawyer’s Business Valuation Handbook: Understanding Financial Statements, Appraisal Reports, and Expert Testimony.

It’s safe to say business valuation is a field Thomsen thinks about deeply, and one he’s long been recognized as an expert in.

He speaks regularly at conferences—including as an expert member of the Business Valuation Institute UK—founded our popular Valuation and Litigation Insights newsletter, and is known across the industry for his lively LinkedIn posts.

In short, Thomsen is a man who lives and breathes his work.

That’s good news for those wondering how to calculate business valuation accurately when not every party may be interested in arriving at the same conclusion.

Business Valuation That Delivers Clarity, Not Complexity

Having joined Grobstein Teeple in 2018, Thomsen not only assists business litigators and their clients by providing credible valuation opinions for shareholder and contract disputes and eminent domain litigation, but also acts as a highly-valued expert witness at trial, among his other services.

He says clients are looking for an experienced hand when it comes to seeking business valuation and litigation support.

“Very often we get involved in what is essentially a business dispute,” Thomsen said. 

“It could be two shareholders arguing over when one was to buy the other one out, or arguing over the price, or something along those lines.”

As common as disputes can be, it’s not the only reason clients seek expert help on how to calculate business valuation. 

“It could be a friendly transaction, like some sort of succession planning,” Thomsen explained.

“Otherwise, it might be that someone is suing for economic damages, such as lost value or reduced profits—which is the second area I really specialize in.”

He admits that when it comes to how to calculate business valuation with any degree of accuracy, there’s plenty of investigative work involved. 

“If you’re dealing with a publicly-listed company, it’s a simple task of just looking up the stock price,” Thomsen says of how a business valuation typically begins.

“But if it’s for a private company, you’ve got to do some work to figure out what an investor would pay for it,” he added.

That’s especially the case when financial records are limited and certain interests may wish to drive down the value of a business.

Combining a Meticulous Approach With a Keen Eye for Detail

While accurately determining the value of a privately-owned business involves plenty of digging, Thomsen believes there’s no reason to keep his clients in the dark.

He compares objective data such as income with comparable market results, and utilizes a methodical nine-step process to procure the rest of the information required to produce a fact-based, detailed report that accurately informs decision-making.

That report can help business owners settle disputes, calculate damages, sell companies, engage in succession planning, and ultimately invest in new opportunities.

“I go into everything I do with the aim of solving a problem and achieving the desired outcome—not just writing a report,” Thomsen said.

“I want to see what the issues are and solve the problem in a way that is meaningful and helpful to each and every client.”

Combining a meticulous approach with a keen eye for detail, Thomsen says one of the keys to knowing how to calculate business valuation is channeling the right resources at the right time.

“I think what I bring to the table is the ability to size things up quickly, decide on the right course of action—and bring others in at the right time who might possess a slightly different set of skills—to provide the right outcome for my clients every time,” Thomsen said.

Respected Thought Leadership Informed by Decades of Experience 

Spend any time on LinkedIn in the world of business valuation, and chances are you’ll come across some of Will’s posts.

An engaging and insightful poster, Thomsen has been sharing his thoughts on the inner workings of business valuation and litigation for years. 

Holding an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School and featuring regularly on the speaking circuit as a highly experienced lecturer and seminar host, Thomsen shares his knowledge with Grobstein Teeple and the broader valuation community on a regular basis.

In fact, he was recently one of the moderators of an expert online panel at the BVIUK 4th Virtual Expert Summit, where his topic was—not surprisingly—valuation methodologies.

You can follow Will and Grobstein Teeple on LinkedIn to keep up with all the latest news and insights from the world of business valuation.

And if you are looking for expert business valuation services, click here to book a call.