Forensic accounting might not be the most traditional of services that come to mind when you think of accounting, but it’s a field Grobstein Teeple and its Partner Brian Lundeen are proven experts in.

Most nationwide accounting firms specialize in a handful of key areas.

Tax returns, estate planning, tax minimization and compliance strategies—these are the things we tend to think of when we picture the average accounting firm.

However, Grobstein Teeple is not your average firm. 

The breadth of the firm’s offerings and broad spectrum of professional expertise make it the first port of call for those seeking practical solutions to complex problems.

One approach comes in the form of forensic accounting—a practice the firm’s Washington D.C.-based partner Brian Lundeen knows intrinsically through first-hand experience, having spent years working in the field.

“When you think of accounting, you generally think of doing things in black and white,” Lundeen explained.

“You have your rules, your standards, and very specific ways things should be done.”

Lundeen has been with Grobstein Teeple since its founding in 2013, and says he operates in the “gray area” between traditional accounting and the various litigation services the firm provides.

“Forensic accounting is essentially an exercise in playing between the lines,” he said.

“Nine times out of ten, it’s taking a problem and trying to figure it out—usually by trying to unwind it and approaching it like a puzzle.”

The Key Role of Forensic Accounting in Litigation Proceedings

With considerable market upheaval over the past several years, there’s an ever-growing need for expert forensic accounting services.

That’s because forensic accounting plays a key role across a range of proceedings—from pre-litigation, for those eager to keep matters out of court, to line by line analyses of exactly how and where money has been spent once litigation has commenced.

“Much of the work we do is industry-agnostic—and it can be anything from sloppy accounting to credible fraud allegations that we’re investigating,” Lundeen said.

Add to that the family law cases he routinely works on and it’s safe to say Lundeen is an expert in high demand. 

“Along with all the commercial projects we’ve become accustomed to analyzing, another area we’ve seen a recent, steep rise in cases is in family law,” Lundeen explained.

“Often in a divorce, one party has had control of all the finances and left the other party seeking answers.

“That’s somewhere where we can really apply our forensic accounting skills and add immense, immediate value.”

Lundeen says these cases require a combination of empathy and attention to detail, not least because the parties are heavily reliant on the outcome of the matter.

“Sometimes it’s quite emotional work we do,” he said.

“But it’s also incredibly important—especially when one spouse has a fiduciary duty to the other to help maintain their standard of living.

“Often it’s a big determinant in people’s lives and where they go from here.”

Putting a Broad Spectrum of Skills Into Specialized Practice

While Lundeen services a diverse portfolio of clients on both the East and West Coasts of the United States—including the Washington D.C. and Virginia metro areas—he never set out specifically to work in forensic accounting.

“I graduated from college right before the economic downturn hit,” he explained. 

“I started out with a big nationwide firm and, frankly, fell into doing forensic financial services—and loved it!”

Having originally planned to study marketing—it was his father who suggested accounting was the more stable option—Lundeen admits he now specializes in an area that suits his personality down to the ground.

“I’ve found an area of accounting that’s not so black and white,” he said.

“There are gray areas—and you can utilize creativity and tap into a robust set of experiences to solve a lot of these complex problems.”

It’s this application of a broad skill set into specialized practice that has yielded Lundeen plenty of professional fulfillment, and one that has seen him become one of the longest-serving partners at the firm.

“I’ve been afforded a really unique opportunity with Grobstein Teeple and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with my partners for the past 15 years,” he said.

Delivering a Comprehensive Suite of East Coast Services 

With a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Accounting from Northern Illinois University and holding Certified Public Accountant licenses in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and California, Lundeen has never been afraid to pull up stakes and start again in a new environment.

It was with this spirit of adventure that he left California to help set up Grobstein Teeple’s dedicated East Coast office in Washington D.C. in 2017.

Now servicing clients across the DMV and beyond, Lundeen says expanding Grobstein Teeple’s base of operations outside its traditional California heartland marked a golden opportunity.

“I spent a lot of time early on in my career networking across Los Angeles and Southern California,” he explained.

“And I still have plenty of clients over on the West Coast.”

“But now that I’m based in Washington D.C. and we have the physical presence here for our local clients, I’m really trying to grow the East Coast side of the business.”

An active member of his local community, Lundeen sits on the board of directors for ACT for Alexandria, previously won a 40 under 40 award issued by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, and for the last three years has proudly served as the group leader of a D.C.-based group of ProVisors.

“I was one of the first to join—and I think we now have more than 350 local members,” he said.

“It’s a network comprised primarily of attorneys, accountants, bankers, and financial advisors, and it’s just been a wonderful experience to help to build something from scratch.”

That’s something Lundeen knows a thing or two about from helming Grobstein Teeple’s operations on the East Coast.

“This is a Partner group that wants to win for our clients, wants to grow and to develop, and I think that bears out in the work we do. 

“I’m proof of that.”

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