Partner – Forensic Consulting
Financial Advisory
Hugo is recognised by clients and their legal advisers as a trusted technical expert who is able to lead and develop strong teams and deploy a variety of skills to achieve positive commercial outcomes. He has depth of global expertise in corporate finance, forensic accounting, dispute consulting and audit, acquired in Big 4 accounting and consulting firms in Australia, USA, Europe and Asia.
Most recently Hugo was Founder and Managing Principal of Quantum Forensic Solutions, joining Grant Thornton Australia in May 2022 when the two firms merged.
As a Chartered Accountant with more than 25 years of experience, Hugo helps corporate clients to understand technical accounting issues, capture hidden value in business transactions, value businesses, and resolve complex business interruption claims and commercial disputes. Hugo is an expert Forensic Accountant and Business Valuation Specialist, and has given expert evidence in numerous matters in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
Expertise
- Forensic accounting investigations of fraud, misappropriation, financial misstatement and irregularities
- Quantification of economic loss and damage in commercial disputes
- Valuation of businesses, companies and equity
- Advising on the valuation and accounting provisions in Shareholder Agreements
- Preparation of Business Interruption claims, calculation of Declared Values & Limits of Liability, and advising on Policy Structure and Wording and
- Financial and accounting analysis, including financial modelling and scenario analysis
Significant engagements include:
- Expert in the Supreme Court of NSW in a franchise dispute involving a global franchise company and local franchisees. Hugo authored expert reports addressing accounting, business valuation, and quantification of loss and damage;
- Expert in the Supreme Court of NSW in a shareholder dispute involving a property investment company. Hugo authored expert reports addressing accounting for the sale of commercial property assets, accounting for dividends and loan repayments and tracing cash flows of distributions to shareholders and lenders;
- Engaged by shareholders of a private company to issue an expert determination in respect of the value of the business and the value of a minority interest in the business intended to be sold between shareholders.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Commerce (Legal Studies & Accounting) – University of Wollongong (1995)
- Chartered Accountant (CA) – Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (2001)
- Business Valuation Specialist (BV) – Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (2015)
