Our Practice

Economists at the Center provide analysis and testimony in five main areas:

Personal Injury / Wrongful Death Damages Analysis

In analyzing damages in personal-injury and wrongful-death matters, the Center works closely with clients, gathering necessary data, identifying relevant issues and calculating the actual extent of economic loss. The Center's forensic economists analyze such damage elements as lost earning capacity, fringe benefits, medical costs, life-care plans, productivity, lost household services and reduction to present value. The Center has been retained in many significant cases of national scope, including the MGM fire mass-tort litigation, the DuPont Plaza fire litigation, the Lockerbie air disaster and the Bendectin class action, in which the Center acted as a court-appointed expert. Center economists helped many of the families of 9/11 victims recover from the September 11th Victims' Compensation Fund.

Commercial Damages / Lost Profits Analysis

The Center has been called on to provide analysis in many commercial areas, including antitrust, business interruption, patent infringement, assessment of financial incentives for arson, excess compensation, business valuation, breach of contract and tortious interference. Center forensic economists have analyzed lost-profit and accounting-fraud claims arising in a wide variety of industries, and excel at uncovering and interpreting data, financial documents and facts germane to such claims.

Labor and Employment: Litigation Damages Analysis

The Center's position at the forefront of damages analysis in employment litigation is evidenced by the large number of nationally significant labor and employment matters in which Center economists have been retained. Damages in employment cases are affected by a number of issues, including mitigation efforts on the part of the plaintiff, the state of relevant labor markets, extent of back- and front-pay and valuation of fringe benefits, including employee stock options. Center economists have developed a particular expertise in the analysis of these variables and have written and lectured widely on employment-damages topics.

Labor and Employment: Discrimination Analysis

The Center has extensive experience analyzing liability issues arising in claims of disparate impact in labor and employment matters. The Center has been called on to provide analysis in terminations-for-cause actions and hiring, promotion and compensation cases. Center statisticians have testified in hundreds of cases for both plaintiffs and defendants and have also been retained as court-appointed experts. In addition to direct litigation support, Center economists offer employment-compliance audits that help employers identify potential problem areas prior to reductions-in-force (RIFs).

Business Valuation / Appraisals

The Center consults on a variety of appraisal matters, including sales and financing arrangements, shareholder disputes, distributor consolidation and business valuations. Center economists have significant experience and expertise in the technical and legal issues that may arise when assigning a value to a business.