Mr. Kohn combines his background in business, finance, economics and accounting to provide clients with financial and economic analyses that have been tested in the boardroom and in the courtroom. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Financial Manager (CFM). He also holds a certificate of examination in Accounting from the Michigan State Board of Accountancy.
He is the founding Principal of Kohn Financial Consulting. As the company’s Principal, he has served clients by valuing closely-held businesses, acting as a financial advisor assisting clients with acquisitions, quantifying damages and/or evaluating claims of damages in commercial litigation matters, securities disputes, wrongful discharge, personal injuries and other types of matters. He has also assisted clients in strategic planning, shareholder matters, mergers and acquisitions.
Before forming Kohn Financial Consulting in 1998, he was a Principal of The Lefko Group in Troy, Michigan, where he served as the firm’s President since 1993. He joined The Lefko Group in 1988. Prior to that, he was a real estate investment analyst involved in acquisitions and syndications with Valley Property (1986 - 1988), and the sales manager at Evergreen (1981 - 1986).
Mr. Kohn has valued many types of businesses including manufacturing, service, retail, wholesale, Internet-based and professional service companies, both closely-held and publicly-traded. He has also valued various types of intellectual property rights, such as patents, copyrights and trademarks as well as other intangible assets. He has been called to do valuations in connection with estate matters, divorce matters, ESOPs, shareholder disputes, mergers and acquisitions, business planning, business interruption claims, and numerous other types of matters. In connection with many of those matters, he has been qualified as an expert, and presented testimony in federal district courts, numerous circuit courts and in arbitration proceedings.
He has also been called as a financial / accounting / economic expert in connection with numerous types of commercial disputes including breach of contract actions, claims of lost profits, intellectual property disputes, wrongful discharge, wrongful death, personal injury, forensic accounting, ERISA, securities disputes and other causes. In connection with those matters, he has been qualified as an expert and presented testimony in federal district courts, numerous circuit courts and in arbitration proceedings.
Mr. Kohn serves on an Arbitrator in arbitration proceedings with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA); the Litigation / Business Valuation Committee of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA); and serves on the Membership Committee for the Economic Club of Detroit.
Mr. Kohn has taught courses on valuing closely-held businesses in the graduate program in finance at Walsh College. He has participated in presenting seminars for the MACPA, the National Center for Employee Ownership National Conference, Walsh College, Oakland University, the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (joint program with the MACPA) and other professional organizations. He has also testified before various legislative and regulatory bodies regarding proposed legislative changes.
He has also served on numerous state and national boards and been involved with various professional organizations. They generally include:
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in Norwalk, Connecticut – At the FASB, Mr. Kohn served on its Small Business Advisory Committee
CFA Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia – He has been involved with this organization, serving in varous capacities, including but not limited to its U.S. Advocacy and Public Awareness committees
Institute of Management Accountants in Montvale, New Jersey – He served on the Management Accounting Committee / Foundation for Applied Research (MAC/FAR)
U.S. A.I.D. through the Citizens Democracy Corp. in Washington, D.C. - He served as a financial advisor in Eastern Europe
American Arbitration Association in Southfield, Michigan - He served as an Arbitrator and Mediator / Facilitator
FINRA - He serves as a Public Arbitrator in securities related disputes
Economic Club of Detroit in Detroit, Michigan – He served as Vice Chair of the Junior Executive Committee and also on the Club’s Membership Committee
Walsh College Alumni Association in Troy, Michigan – He served on the Board of Directors and is a past president of the organization.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND AND PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS B.A. in Economics - University of Michigan-Dearborn in Dearborn, Michigan, 1983 M.S. in Finance - Walsh College in Troy, Michigan, 1988 Certified Public Accountant, (CPA) - Licensed by the Michigan State Board of Accountancy Chartered Financial Analyst, (CFA) - Designation conferred by the CFA Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia Certified Management Accountant, (CMA) - Designation conferred by the Institute of Management Accountants in Montvale, New Jersey Certified Financial Manager, (CFM) - Designation conferred by the Institute of Management Accountants in Montvale, New Jersey
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS · CFA Institute · CFA Society of Detroit · Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants · Institute of Management Accountants · National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts · Economic Club of Detroit, Life Member
ARTICLES AND PUBLICATIONS
- Business Valuations in Divorce: A Primer, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, March 13, 2000
- How To Properly Value a Business, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, March 24, 1997
- Safe Harbours for Health Care Professionals, The Michigan CPA, Spring 1994
