How to Read Financial Statements 2023 | Practising Law Institute (PLI) | 13 April 2023 | Practising Law Institute, 1177 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036, USA

Financial statements provide key information on the financial performance of companies and are the language of business. Attorneys must understand financial statements in order to provide solutions to their clients' problems, including structuring financial transactions and litigating business disputes. And yet attorneys often don't have any training or familiarity with financial statements and the story they're really telling. This program was created as a fundamental resource for those looking to learn exactly how to read financial statements. Designed for lawyers who may be unfamiliar with financial statements, there will be discussion about the information communicated by financial statements and how it is used in analysis and decision making.

At this practical half-day program, an engaging panel of experts will provide a primer for understanding the basic elements of balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. Among other things, the panelists will discuss important elements that all attorneys should be aware of when encountering these financial statements in the course of common business transactions and in litigation. This primer will lay the foundation for attendees to pursue more in-depth studies of financial statements.

What You Will Learn

After completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Understand how to read, understand, and perform basic analyses of balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements.
• Relate assets, liabilities, and owner's equity in the basic accounting equation: Assets = liabilities + owner's equity.
• Relate revenues, expenses, and net income in the income statement: Revenue–expenses = net income.
• Understand the three fundamental areas of financial analysis: Liquidity, leverage risk, and profitability.

Who Should Attend

Lawyers working with financial information, whether in the course of business transactions, securities filings, or in the context of litigation. Any professional wanting to learn the basics of financial statements will also benefit from this program.

2023 Speakers

CHAIRPERSON:

Mose (Chad) Rucker III
Managing Director, Valuation Research Corporation

SPEAKERS:

Taryn M. Bostjancic
CPA, CGMA, Partner, WithumSmith+Brown, PC

George M. Wilson
MBA, CPA, Director, SEC Institute, a Division of PLI