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Michelle J. Avery, CPA, CFF

J.S. Held Acquires Stapleton Group & Launches Strategic Advisory Practice

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Michelle J. Avery joined J.S. Held in March of 2022 as part of J.S. Held's acquisition of Ocean Tomo, who acquired her predecessor firm, Veris Consulting, LLC, where she had worked for 23 years. Michelle has extensive experience providing forensic accounting and expert witness services to prominent law firms and leads major dispute resolution engagements in high-profile domestic and international civil litigation. These engagements involve complex accounting, financial reporting, or economic damages issues. More specifically, her work frequently involves allegations of misstated financial statements, inadequate disclosures, auditor malpractice, and director and officer liability. She has testified in matters related to auditor malpractice and economic damages.

Michelle is a former member of the Financial Reporting Executive Committee (FinREC), the senior technical committee of the AICPA for financial reporting. She also recently served as a member of the AICPA National Association of Insurance Commissioners Working Group Task Force and has served on the International Association of Insurance Receivers Board of Directors. She is the immediate past chair of the College of William and Mary Mason School of Business Accounting Programs Board and recently served on the James Madison University School of Accounting Guiding Executive Board. Michelle earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Accounting from the College of William & Mary. She is a previous recipient of the AICPA’s Standing Ovation award in Forensics and Valuation Services award, the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) “Top 40 Under 40” award, and the Washington Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40” award.
 

Professional Licenses/Certificates

  • Certified Public Accountant, Virginia, 2000
  • Certified in Financial Forensics, 2010