Jay Shaw

In addition to more than 20 years’ business valuation and forensic accounting experience in NZ and overseas, I am a formally approved CAANZ BusinessValuation Specialist.  This recognises the specific, relevant study undertaken and the level of experience required to have deep specialist skills in business valuation. 

Over my career, I have undertaken hundreds of business and intangible asset valuations, including in the context of dispute, financial reporting, tax, restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions.

Interests I have valued range from small owner operated businesses to large multinational companies, across most industries and sectors.

I am regularly appointed to provide expert determinations of share value. This includes expert appointments made by the President of the New Zealand Law Society.

Fair value assessments for financial reporting purposes, including portfolio valuations, impairment reviews and purchase price allocations, is also an area in which I have extensive experience.

In relation to commercial, relationship property & other disputes, I provide forensic accounting and litigation support services, including economic damages assessments and financial investigations.

I have received instructions from many of New Zealand’s leading law firms and barristers, and from government agencies including Inland Revenue, Worksafe New Zealand, and Waka Kotahi.  

I have prepared business valuation and forensic accounting expert reports for High Court, District Court, and Family Court proceedings, and for arbitration and mediation purposes. I have produced written evidence on numerous occasions, and oral evidence including in the following matters:

• Remediation (NZ) Limited v Enviro (NZ) Limited [2023].
• Keezz Ltd v Te Whatu Ora [2023] NZHC 1360.
• Jin v Luo [2023] NZHC 2417.
• Preston v Preston [2019] NZHC 33.

I am also experienced in the financial issues associated with relationship property, including business valuations, s15 assessments, and financial investigations.

From 2017 to 2024 I sat on the business valuation board of the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC), the established standards setter for the business valuation profession globally. In this role, I provided technical guidance in the development of international valuation standards and IVSC thought leadership initiatives.

I am also a committee member and the only NZ representative on the CAANZ business valuation committee, which advocates for, and supports, members in this area.

I speak regularly at industry events, and am widely published on valuation and forensic accounting issues. I have also previously given seminars to members of CAANZ and NZLS on business valuation and forensic accounting topics.

• Expert evidence on the financial capacity of the defendant companies in the Whakaari/White Island proceedings. Instructed by Worksafe New Zealand.
• Expert evidence and joint statements relating to damages from a breach of contract arising from a council green and food waste council contract.
• Expert report relating to the calculation of lost profits in relation to an alleged breach of contract for a large nationwide logistics business.
• Expert report in relation to losses incurred by a civil construction company seeking to enforce a restraint of trade contained in a business S&P agreement.
• Expert evidence relating to the review of financial information in support of a successful freezing order by a global agricultural trader.
• Expert report relating to lost profits in relation to an alleged breach of warranties given in the sale and purchase of a video production business.
• Expert evidence for a High Court matter in relation to a dispute over cost savings delivered to Waikato DHB following a surgical services consulting project.
• Expert evidence and joint statements for a Family Court matter relating to the valuation of an Apiary business for relationship property purposes.
• Expert evidence for a High Court matter on the source and use of funds of a property development company relating to investments in seven developments over nine years.
• Expert evidence for a High Court on the source and use of funds of a property development company relating to various real estate investments.
• Expert report relating to loss profits in relation to a vehicle testing site closed for remediation.
• Numerous reviews of the financial capacity evidence of defendant companies to pay a fine and reparation, and consequential loss assessments, instructed by Worksafe.
• Numerous reviews in relation to claims by affected parties for compensation for lost goodwill and profits under the Public Works Act 1981, instructed by Waka Kotahi.
• Various s15 (economic disparity) assessments under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976.
• Expert evidence for a High Court matter on the value of a drilling business and s15 assessment, prepared for relationship property purposes.
• Expert report for a High Court matter, on the value of shares in a restaurant chain, required for a claim under s174 of the Companies Act.
• Expert report on various accounting and financial reporting matters in relation to the alleged misappropriation of funds by a NZ solicitor.
• Expert report for a High Court matter on various financial assessments under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976, including S9A(1), S9A(2), and S44C.
• Expert evidence for a High Court matter relating to lost profits due to the breach of a restraint of trade under a S&P agreement for a kitchen fabrication business.
• Valuation of licence agreements in relation to the intellectual property associated with a puzzle game, instructed by Inland Revenue.
• Valuation of a North Island based Manuka Honey business, instructed by Inland Revenue.
• Valuation of patents in relation to specialised food packaging equipment, instructed by Inland Revenue.
• Valuation of a Wellington based medical practice for relationship property purposes.
• Valuation of the fair value for a 50% interest in a chartered accounting firm, in relation to a dispute regarding purchase price.
• Expert evidence for a High Court proceeding relating to the valuation of a construction business transferred to a related party.
• Expert report in relation to losses incurred from a breach of contract arising in relation to a Manuka Honey joint venture arrangement.
• Expert report for a Family Court matter on the value of a concrete business for relationship property purposes.
• Expert report for a High Court proceeding on the value for a trademark for a plumbing product, and an associated lost profits assessment.
• Expert report for a High Court matter relating to valuation issues associated with the distribution of estate assets.
• Expert report for a High Court matter relating to lost profits in relation to the operation of ticketing systems on various South Island ski fields.
• Expert report in relation to losses suffered by a pet care business due to business interruption.
• Expert report for a High Court proceeding on the value for an established Central North Island tourist operation.

• Understanding the professional and regulatory valuation framework in New Zealand. Company Valuations Conference. 2023.
• Valuations for M&A purposes. Legalwise. 2021.
• Calculating Lost Profits: Commercial Damages. Legalwise. 2020.
• International Valuation Standards. CAANZ 2020 Business Valuation Conference.
• Valuation of non-financial liabilities. ICVPME international valuation conference. Auckland. 2019.
• Valuing intellectual property. LESANZ 2018.
• Panel discussion on IP financing and presentation on the valuation of IP and intangibles. IVAS-IVSC Valuation Conference. Singapore. 2017.
• How to plan for share value issues, and draft secure and effective disputes clauses in commercial. Joint presentation at 25th NZ Law conference. 2017.
• Expert determination of the value for unlisted shares. Annual conference of the Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ). 2017.
• Follow the money - Identifying and valuing economic interests for matrimonial property purposes. Legalwise 2016 & 2017.
• Navigating valuation issues in financial statements. Legalwise Seminar 2015.
• Valuing relationship property. Presentation on behalf of New Zealand Law Society. 2015.
• Understanding the meaning(s) of value for business valuation purposes. 16th Annual Company Valuation Master-course. 2015.
• Valuing intellectual property and other intangible assets. Presentation to Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand. 2015. 

• Will buyers pay more for businesses with existing tax losses? GT Business Advisor. 2023.
• What’s the trouble with goodwill? Acuity. 2021.
• Is the price right? Focusing on business valuation. Acuity 2021.
• New Zealand Relationship Property Survey 2021.
• New Zealand Relationship Property Survey 2019.
• New Zealand Relationship Property Survey 2017.
• Expert determination of the value for unlisted shares. Paper prepared for 2017 AMINZ conference.
• High Court takes a wine tour. Expert Determination. ReSolution. 2017.
• Valuing professional practices for matrimonial property purposes. Family Advocate. 2016.
• The value of restraint – valuing restraints of trade. LawTalk. 2015.
• The ‘bright-line’ test and other tax considerations in matrimonial property settlements. Family Advocate. 2015.
• IP strategy: what is the value of an idea? Idealog. 2015.
• Business valuations for matrimonial purposes: non- disclosure and misstatement. Family Advocate. 2015.
• The single joint expert process: a specialist’s view. Family Advocate. 2015.
• How to raise the selling price of your business. NZ Business. 2015.
• Using the family business to fund a matrimonial property settlement. Family Advocate. 2015.
• Expert determination of value - a specialist's view. Law Talk. 2015.
  Liquidity discounts for valuations of closely held businesses. Undisputed. 2015.