John Stark CPA/ABV, CFF
Managing Director
Mr. Stark has more than 20 years of professional experience specializing in business valuation services, expert testimony, forensic analysis, consulting and financial analysis for parties in litigation. Mr. Stark has been engaged in hundreds of litigation and non-litigation matters, and has been admitted as an expert witness in over forty different matters.
Performed damage analysis for corporations and individuals. Mr. Stark has prepared numerous expert reports and has testified as an expert witness in this arena. His work has spanned an array of industries including manufacturing, automotive, agriculture, food processing, natural resources, professional services, music/entertainment, and healthcare, on such issues as damages, breach of contract, lost profits, and business interruption.
Led forensic accounting matters. Mr. Stark’s experience includes investigating fraud, preferential transfers, management improprieties, Ponzi schemes, supplier kick-backs, and financial accounting matters in industries including manufacturing, construction and transportation/logistics, among others.
Specialized in valuation matters. Mr. Stark has valued hundreds of businesses for estate and gift tax purposes, shareholder disputes, mergers and acquisitions, shareholder transactions and divorces. His business valuation expertise has been applied across a wide range of businesses, including those involved in the manufacturing, retail, professional services and healthcare industries.
With respect to his opinions regarding lost earnings, lost profits, and valuation, Mr. Stark has testified in the following jurisdictions: the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division; the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division; the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; the Stark County Court of Common Pleas; the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas; the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas; the Erie County Court of Common Pleas; the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas; the Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas; the Summit County Court of Common Pleas; the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas; and the American Arbitration Association.
Prior to joining the Applied Business Strategy, Mr. Stark was a Partner with Cohen & Company, Ltd., a Cleveland based Certified Public Accounting firm, where he started his career in the Accounting & Auditing department, preparing and reviewing financial statements and tax returns for privately-held companies. Mr. Stark holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Miami University, is a Certified Public Accountant, Accredited in Business Valuation, and Certified in Financial Forensics. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants.