|
LAWYER CONTACT INFORMATION
| Name: |
Mr.
Bruce Brooks
|
|
E-Mail: |
bbrooks@collinsbarrow.com |
| Website: |
www.collinsbarrowottawa.com |
| Phone: |
(613) 768-7540
|
| Fax: |
(613) 820-0465
|
| Office
Address: |
Suite 400,
301 Moodie Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K2H 9C4
|
| Comments: |
Mr. Brooks has more than 30 years of business experience. As a professional accountant he specializes in business valuations, insurance loss claims and strategic business planning. His career also includes employment in both industry and government. Mr. Brooks received his CA training at Touche Ross & Co. (now Deloitte
Touche).
Education
Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) - Queen's University, 1972
Chartered Accountant (Ontario) - 1974
Chartered Business Valuator - 1992
Certified Fraud Examiner - 1992
Fellowship - F.C.A. - 1994
During the 28 years subsequent to obtaining his designation as a chartered accountant Mr. Brooks' education has been focused on management theory and taxation and from 1986 on business valuation matters. He attends regional and national business valuation conferences and is a founding member of the Ottawa Chapter's monthly workshops. He is a past president of the chapter.
Professional and Business Experience
Mr. Brooks was a founding partner of Brooks, Vasich and
Kniewasser, Chartered Accountants in 1980 and was managing partner of the firm until its merger with BDO Ward Mallette in January 1991.
In 1992, the firm merged with Dunwoody. Mr. Brooks was elected office managing partner in May 1994 and was also responsible for all litigation support services in the Ottawa office. From 1992 to 2002, he was personally involved in and responsible for all business valuation, quantification of damages and insurance work in Eastern Ontario.
Mr. Brooks was a past chair of BDO’s national “Financial Advisory Services” committee. This committee determined policies and practice guidelines for the firm’s litigation support practitioners.
In May 2002 the Ottawa office left BDO and joined Collins Barrow. Mr. Brooks has continued as Managing Partner to the current date and is responsible for all litigation support assignments.
His valuation assignments have covered a wide range of industries including: municipal electrical utilities, high technology, manufacturing, retail, service, insurance, professional practices, and others. Mr. Brooks has been retained by Revenue Canada to provide valuation opinions in respect to international transactions.
His experience in quantification of damages includes loss of income under no fault automobile insurance legislation, personal injury and business interruption and stock loss claims. He has also been retained in civil litigation matters in respect to the quantification of business income losses.
Mr. Brooks has appeared in court as an expert witness on valuation, business loss and fraud related issues. He has also appeared before the Ontario Securities Commission.
The types of cases, in which Mr. Brooks has appeared as an expert witness include:
- ·Five matrimonial valuation files;
- ·Five civil valuation files (breach of fiduciary duties and inadequate consideration in a receivers sale);
- Seven quantification of business losses (five civil matters and two personal injury matters); and
- One fraud matter involving a National Association.
Government and Industry Experience
Mr. Brooks’ government experience (1976-1979) includes senior financial analyst at the Farm Credit Corporation and audit manager with Canada Council. He has been under contract with the Office of the Auditor General to audit various government bodies and also to review and report on the OAG's audit file review process. Other government assignments include the audit of native contribution agreements with
DIAND.
Mr. Brooks’ industry experience includes corporate controller at Systemhouse Ltd. at the time of its going public (1979 - 1980).
Professional and Other Activities
Mr. Brooks has lectured on intermediate accounting under the CMA program at Carleton University. He has spoken on valuation issues before various law firms, the Ottawa Chapter of Chartered Business Valuators, the Ottawa Chapter of Canadian Life Underwriters, the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Association of Family Enterprises and for his own firm's professional development program for CA students. Mr. Brooks has led workshops on various financial management topics for local small business groups, bankers, sport fitness administrations and industry associations. The principal seminar topics have included:
1. Role of the Valuator
2. Business Valuation Concepts
3. Valuation Issues
4. Valuing Your Business
5. Selling Your Business
6. Buy/Sell Agreements – Valuation Issues
7. Interpreting Financial Statements
8. Interpreting Financial Statements from an Investigative Standpoint
9. Fraud related issues in Financial Statements
10. Financial Management
Mr. Brooks is a past president of the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators, and a past founding board member of the Ottawa Chapter of Certified Fraud Examiners.
From 1989 to 1993 Mr. Brooks was on the Professional Conduct Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (deputy chair, 1992 and 1993). He subsequently provided investigative services to this committee.
Mr. Brooks is currently a member of Kiwanis - Ottawa Chapter (and a past Treasurer and board member) and finance committee member of the Ottawa Heart Institute Research Foundation. His community involvement has included member of
OEDC, Nepean Chamber of Commerce, United Way - Budget Allocations Panel, Ottawa Board of Trade - Education Committee, treasurer of the Community Information Centre for Ottawa-Carleton and the Southeast Ottawa Community Resource Centre, Boy Scouts - Group Committee chairman, Junior Achievement - board member, Experience Canada, and advisor and associate member of the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Association of Family Enterprises.
Mr. Brooks attended the Level 1 Workshop for Collaborative Family Law in April 2005.
|
|
