Forensic Accounting Takes Center Stage: Shelley Drury Addresses UW Tacoma Graduate Program

Shelley Drury, CPA, CVA, ABV, CFF

The Doty Group, P.S.'s Shareholder and Director of Business Valuation and Litigation Department, Shelley Drury, CPA, CVA, ABV, CFF, recently visited The University of Washington Tacoma's Master of Accountancy Graduate Program on May 3rd. Shelley spoke to two different classes taught by Professors Karen Janz and Gordon Craig on the topic of forensic accounting.

Shelley's presentation was informative and insightful, providing the students with valuable industry knowledge and insights. In addition to her vast experience in business valuation and forensic accounting, Shelley is also a national seminar speaker, providing continuing professional education (CPE) to other CPAs and continuing legal education (CLE) courses to attorneys. She holds the following specialty credentials: Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF), and Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA).  She is well respected in the accounting and legal industry and was even featured in Discovery Channel’s hit TV series, Undercover Billionaire as a valuation expert in 2020.

During her classroom presentation, Shelley elaborated on the various ways forensic accounting could be utilized beyond criminal investigations, such as in marital dissolution by identifying commingled or community assets. She also emphasized the critical role forensic accounting can play in identifying “normalization adjustments” during the business valuation process to reach a reliable and accurate conclusion of value. 

At one point in the discussion, Shelley shared that approaching each professional engagement with professional skepticism is of utmost importance. As a highly experienced accounting professional, it is essential to understand the importance of maintaining an objective and unbiased perspective when dealing with complex valuation and litigation matters.

In business valuation and litigation, a lack of professional skepticism can lead to inaccurate valuations and potentially biased opinions, and potential legal and financial repercussions. Professional skepticism allows accounting professionals to question assumptions, assess the credibility and reliability of evidence, and arrive at a fair and unbiased conclusion.

Shelley enjoys engaging with students and believes these interactions can help foster a growing community of CPAs better informed about the diverse range of services offered by accounting professionals beyond tax, audit, and accounting services.

 “I appreciate each and every time I’m asked to speak or teach”, says Shelley.  She added, “I enjoy the interaction with the students and am inspired by their enthusiasm for the profession in general.”

Shelley's feedback from the professors and students was very positive.  Among their comments, they found the discussion to be informative and engaging and provided them with valuable insight into Shelley’s specialized areas of business valuation and forensic accounting.