Practice/Organization Description
Accounting expert Dr. Barry Jay Epstein, CPA, CFF, is a practicing accountant and respected author of many books and articles on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
Dr. Epstein is the author of The Handbook of Accounting and Auditing, published by RIA, the tax and accounting business of Thomson Reuters. He served as the lead author of 26 annual editions of Wiley GAAP (1985 through 2010) and 14 annual editions of Wiley IFRS (1997 through 2010), all published by John Wiley & Sons.
Dr. Epstein concentrates his forensic accounting practice in the following areas:
- White collar defense
- Financial reporting fraud and securities litigation
- Accountants' liability and accountant malpractice
- Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
- Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS)
- International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
- International accounting convergence (GAAP and IFRS)
- Sarbanes-Oxley corporate governance matters
Dr. Epstein has consulted and/or testified as an expert witness for plaintiff and defense attorneys in over 120 cases. He has done substantial work for federal and state regulatory agencies.
As an international accounting expert, Dr. Epstein assists international corporations, financial analysts and professional investors in interpreting financial statements and reports prepared in accordance with IFRS.
He has advised U.S. and foreign-based professionals, and business entities that are involved in—or are contemplating—joint ventures, new vendor or customer relationships, and establishing subsidiary operations, to educate them regarding the effects of financial reporting under IFRS.
Dr. Epstein analyzes the selection and application of accounting principles to look for "red flags" that may emerge when international financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS are reconciled with U.S. GAAP. Areas of possible exposure are identified, such as those resulting from alternative use of fair values, and accounting for financial instruments and hedging transactions.
A full listing of Dr. Epstein's publications is available online at http://www.ifrsaccountant.com/publications.html.
Please note the following: Effective 1 January 2012, my practice has been merged into the litigation practice of SS&G, Inc., a Cleveland-based full-service certified public accounting, business advisory, and management consulting firm encompassing assurance, tax, employee benefits, and restaurant financial services. This profile and the information contained herein represent my opinions and not necessarily those of SS&G, Inc.
Education
University of Pittsburgh
Ph.D. - 1979
Information Systems, Finance, and Statistical Decision Theory
University of Chicago
M.B.A. - 1969
Accounting, Economics and Behavioral Sciences
DePaul University - with high honors
B.S.C. - 1967
Accounting and Finance
C.P.A., Illinois, 1967 - winner of national and state honors
Professional Associations & Memberships
Illinois CPA Society (former chairman, Accounting Principles Committee)
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (former member, Board of
Examiners, and chair of the Auditing Subcommittee of the Board)
American Accounting Association, International Section
American Mensa, Ltd.
