HBK Valuation, Litigation and Forensics

What HBK Valuation, Litigation and Forensics does

HBK Valuation, Litigation and Forensics is a professional services division of Hill, Barth & King LLC, a Pittsburgh-based certified public accounting and advisory firm. Founded in 1999, the division delivers three core service lines — business valuation, litigation support, and forensic accounting — to a horizontally diversified client base spanning family-owned businesses, startups, private equity-backed companies, publicly traded corporations, and attorneys engaged in commercial disputes, divorce proceedings, and shareholder matters. The practice is led by Principal-in-Charge Robert J. Zahner and staffed by professionals holding the industry's highest credentials, including CPA/ABV, ASA (American Society of Appraisers), and CVA (Certified Valuation Analyst) designations, with the engagement model explicitly fee-based to preserve independence.

Service delivery relies on industry-standard valuation methodologies and forensic accounting techniques rather than proprietary technology platforms. Analyses are grounded in objective interpretation of reliable research and business data, with reports and expert testimony accepted by the IRS, major public accounting firms, and courts across multiple jurisdictions — a reputational and acceptance moat built over decades. Multi-disciplinary collaboration with attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors is central to the workflow, particularly in litigation engagements that span due diligence, mediation, trial, and settlement.

The business model is professional services fee-based revenue from quote-based engagements, with no publicly disclosed pricing or revenue figures. Go-to-market is sales-led and referral-driven, leveraging professional advisor networks, direct client engagement, and email/newsletter outreach rather than paid marketing. The parent firm also operates adjacent sub-brands — HBKS (wealth management and retirement plans) and Vertilocity (IT consulting and management) — situating the valuation practice within a broader CPA/advisory platform.

Name

HBK Valuation, Litigation and Forensics

Legal name

Hill, Barth & King LLC

Website

https://hbkvg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HBK Valuation, Litigation and Forensics is the professional services division of Hill, Barth & King LLC, delivering credentialed business valuation, litigation support, and forensic accounting services to family-owned businesses, private equity firms, public companies, and attorneys across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Valuation and Forensic Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Other Accounting Services (541219), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Valuation & Litigation Support (BPAHABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Litigation Support & Expert Witness (Valuation-Related) (BPAHANAG), Financial Reporting Valuation (ASC 820/805, IFRS 13/3) (FSAEAHAB), Valuation & Purchase Price Allocation (Deal Valuation) (BPAHAOAK)

Keywords

• Business valuation services
• Litigation support services
• Forensic accounting services
• Expert witness testimony
• Mergers acquisitions advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Valuation and Forensic Services: Fee-based professional services revenue model providing valuation opinions and forensic accounting services. Compensation structure ensures impartial, unbiased analyses independent of outcomes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

HBK Valuation, Litigation & Forensics is a professional services division of Hill, Barth & King LLC that delivers business valuation, litigation support, and forensic accounting services. The practice provides credentialed professionals (CPA/ABV, ASA, CVA) to deliver valuation opinions for sales, mergers and acquisitions, estate and gift tax planning, divorce proceedings, dispute resolution, fraud investigation, and fair value measurements for financial reporting.

Product overview

HBK Valuation, Litigation & Forensics is a professional services division of Hill, Barth & King LLC, providing valuation and forensic services through a unified offering of three core service lines: Business Valuation, Litigation Services, and Forensic Services. The division serves a diverse client base including owners and advisors of family-owned businesses, startups, private equity backed businesses, and publicly traded companies. All services are delivered by credentialed professionals with expertise in finance and accounting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HBKS: Wealth management and employer sponsored retirement plans services
• Vertilocity

Products and services

• Business Valuation Professional business valuation services delivered by credentialed experts (CPA/ABV, ASA, CVA) for family-owned businesses, startups, private equity backed businesses, and publicly traded companies, supporting sales, mergers, acquisitions, succession planning, and estate tax matters.
• Litigation Services Financial analysis and expert testimony support for legal proceedings, delivered in collaboration with attorneys and clients from initial case due diligence through mediation, trial, and settlement.
• Forensic Services Fraud investigation and forensic accounting services that uncover fraudulent activity and quantify its corresponding financial impact for use in legal and regulatory proceedings.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)coreOthersValuation reports and testimony must stand up to IRS scrutiny. Services comply with IRS requirements for estate tax, gift tax, and business transaction valuations.
• Major Public Accounting FirmscoreOthersValuation opinions accepted and relied upon by world's largest public accounting firms for audit and assurance engagements.
• Legal Professionals and CourtscoreOthersExpert testimony and litigation support services for courts across multiple jurisdictions. Collaborative engagement with attorneys from initial case due diligence through mediation, trial and settlement.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mercer Capital: Mercer Capital is a specialized business valuation and financial advisory firm serving closely held businesses, PE-backed companies, and attorneys, making it a direct niche peer to HBK's core valuation and litigation support practice.
• FTI Consulting: FTI Consulting's Forensic & Litigation Consulting and Corporate Finance/Restructuring segments provide expert testimony, forensic accounting, and valuation services for complex disputes and transactions—directly comparable to HBK's litigation and forensic offerings.
• Kroll (formerly Duff & Phelps): Kroll's Valuation Advisory and Dispute Resolution practices serve the same business valuation, financial reporting, and litigation support use cases as HBK, including expert testimony and fairness opinions accepted by courts and the IRS.
• Stout: Stout is a global advisory firm with a dedicated valuation, litigation, and disputes practice serving lawyers, companies, and private equity clients. It is one of the closest direct comparables to HBK, including through its acquisition of Willamette Management Associates.

Broad incumbents

• BDO USA: BDO USA's Advisory practice includes business valuation, forensic investigations, and litigation support similar to HBK's offering. As a Top-10 CPA firm, BDO provides broader geographic reach and brand recognition in the same mid-market client segment HBK serves.
• Houlihan Lokey: Houlihan Lokey's Financial Advisory Services include valuation, transaction opinion, and dispute resolution practices for public and private companies. It competes with HBK on financial reporting valuations and fairness opinions, but from a much broader investment banking platform.
• Grant Thornton: Grant Thornton's Advisory Services include valuation, forensic, and litigation support practices serving PE-backed, public, and privately held businesses. It competes with HBK in the same mid-market valuation space but with national scope.
• RSM US: RSM US provides valuation, forensic, and transaction advisory services to middle-market companies and their advisors, making it a comparable mid-market professional services peer with broader scale than HBK's specialty division.
• Alvarez & Marsal: A&M provides valuation, forensic accounting, and dispute advisory services as part of a broader restructuring and performance improvement platform. It overlaps with HBK on litigation support and transaction valuation while serving a larger enterprise client base.

Regional players

• Withum: Withum is a mid-Atlantic and national CPA and advisory firm with valuation, forensic, and litigation support practices serving closely held businesses and PE-backed companies. It is structurally comparable to HBK as a similarly sized regional accounting platform with a specialty valuation practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HBK Valuation, Litigation and Forensics