Associate, Commercial Litigation - Disputes, Claims & Investigations

At Stout, we’re dedicated to exceeding expectations in all we do – we call it Relentless Excellence ®. Both our client service and culture are second to none, stemming from our firmwide embrace of our core values: Positive and Team-Oriented, Accountable, Committed, Relationship-Focused, Super-Responsive, and being Great communicators. Sound like a place you can grow and succeed? Read on to learn more about an exciting opportunity to join our team.

Associate, Commercial Litigation

General Purpose:  An Associate within our Disputes, Claims, & Investigations group (“DCI”) will work in a dynamic and fast-paced consulting environment advising clients and their legal counsel, preparing financial and economic damages calculations and related forensic and financial advisory work in complex commercial litigation.  In addition, this position includes a sub-specialty in the area of post-transaction disputes.

Associates are assigned to multiple project teams to manage the day-to-day activities associated with each project. Associates work directly under the supervision of Stout’s Managing Directors, Directors and Senior Managers. Clients and their legal counsel are based locally, regionally, and nationally across a wide range of industries. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support preparation of written reports, presentations, and graphical exhibits including creation of financial analysis and modeling.
• Support the day-to-day execution of DCI projects, with responsibility for coordinating and executing the engagement workplan with colleagues on project teams. 
• Participate in company, industry, and case-specific research functions, including technical, economic, accounting, financial, and/or market research to support the basis for our analyses, assumptions, opinions, and conclusions.
• Work with engagement leaders to strategize engagement approach; develop engagement workplans; and report to leadership on engagement progress and critical path items.
• Collaborate with other team members to create and review engagement work product, including financial analyses and modeling, written reports and presentations of our findings and conclusions.  Our analyses vary from project to project and may entail complex quantitative, accounting, financial, statistical, and/or database analyses of business records. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Overall DCI Associate Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Background in accounting and/or finance, through educational studies or relevant experience.
• Ability to understand and critically analyze financial documents such as financial statements, accounting records, or databases of downloaded business records.
• Ability to review, organize, and analyze non-financial records including emails, user-prepared documents, deposition transcripts, market and/or industry research.
• Proficient in Microsoft Suite, especially Microsoft Excel, in order to build and/or analyze complex financial models and analyses. Ability to use other modeling and data analysis tools is also a plus.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to conduct and/or direct others in completing daily project tasks and research.
• Ability and flexibility to work with changing, client-imposed deadlines.
• Able to execute multiple engagements simultaneously.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Experience working in a client service / professional services environment
• Periodic travel may be required depending on the project. 

Transactional/M&A Disputes Sub-Specialty Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP.  Familiarity with other financial statement reporting frameworks such as IFRS also a plus.
• Understanding of and ability to analyze documents and information underlying financial statements.
• Familiarity and experience with M&A transactions.
• Familiarity with and ability to work with complex financial models and methodologies commonly used in valuing M&A transactions, such as:  Discounted Cash Flows, IRR analyses, LBO models, comparable transaction and trading multiples analyses.
• Ability to prepare, review, and critique post-transaction breach and damages analyses, including representations and warranties insurance (RWI) claims. 

Education and/or Training:

• 4-year undergraduate degree with a concentration in accounting, finance, or economics
• Two to four years of relevant professional experience in the accounting, M&A, or finance disciplines.  Litigation consulting, transaction advisory, professional/public accounting, assurance/audit and/or corporate development experience preferred. 
• One or more of the following credentials preferred: CPA, CFF, a valuation credential (CFA, CVA, ASA), or currently progressing toward these credentials.

Why Stout?

Our goal is to provide a comprehensive Total Rewards program that includes competitive compensation, benefits & wellness programs that allows employees to choose what’s most important to them at any life stage.  At Stout, we are committed to the personal and professional development of our employees while fostering a diverse and inclusive environment.

Stout Culture: We honor the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are committed to representing and including the unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our people, partners, and the communities we serve.  Our core values embrace a culture of inclusion and the equitable treatment of all team members, starting with Stout’s leadership and spreading across the organization. We strive to recruit, develop, and retain individuals with an array of talents, ideas, and experiences that propel the entrepreneurial spirit and exceptionalism that drive our success.  To learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, click here.

Professional Development: To foster employee development we offer ongoing training and learning opportunities, employee resources groups, mentorship programming, and professional designation reimbursement. We believe in timely and proactive performance excellence, ongoing 360 feedback, clear performance expectations at each level, and quarterly check-ins with your manager ensure you are supported and growing your career.

Stout Benefits : Stout offers a variety of benefits to meet the ever-changing needs of our employees throughout their career at Stout. View our Benefits page to see what this can look like for you.   

Flexible Work Schedules: Work-life balance is important to us and we want our employees to have balanced lives, which is why we have a discretionary time off policy for all salaried exempt employees. This gives you the ability to take time off as appropriate.

The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job.

Stout is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment on the basis of valid job requirements, qualifications and merit without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, protected genetic information, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law. Stout values a diverse workforce and strongly encourages women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ communities, veterans, people with disabilities and members of other underrepresented communities to apply.

Interested in joining a rapidly growing group of bright, ambitious professionals in a work environment that values culture, diversity, and personal growth? Stout might just be the right place for you.

For individuals assigned to work in California, Colorado, New York City, or Washington, Stout is required by law to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. The range for this role considers several factors including but not limited to prior work and industry experience, education level, and unique skills. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.