One way business valuation experts gauge company-specific risk is to benchmark financial performance over time and against competitors. This article explains critical benchmarks that experts monitor: profitability, liquidity, asset management and leverage. A sidebar discusses the importance of understanding differences in accounting methods when analyzing financial results.

Too often, business valuation experts are hired months after a case is filed or just before it goes to trial. This limits the documents and procedures that they can use to perform their analysis. This article reminds attorneys that it’s important to hire experts early in the litigation process and ask for relevant items during discovery.