Brian R. Morton, CPA/ABV/CFF, ASA, CDFA, is a Principal with Reitz & Morton, a valuation and forensic accounting firm located in Newport Beach, California. Mr. Morton is an experienced business valuation and forensic accounting expert. Mr. Morton has experience in forensic accounting and business valuation for marital dissolution purposes, gift and estate tax purposes, income tax, civil litigation, shareholder disputes, partner buyouts, and mergers and acquisitions, among others. Mr. Morton founded Reitz & Morton in order to build a valuation and forensic accounting practice built on top quality products and reports, outstanding customer service, competitive rates, swift turnaround times, and extremely knowledgeable valuation and accounting experts.
As a forensic accountant and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, Mr. Morton works closely with clients individually and as couples, helping them to understand the financial reality of their individual divorce situation. Mr. Morton provides his forensic accounting and financial litigation expertise to issues involving cash flow analysis, tracing of community and separate property, valuation of closely held businesses, Moore-Marsden calculations, and all other financial aspects associated with a divorce. Mr. Morton has qualified to give expert testimony and has testified in the Superior Courts of California in the Counties of Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino. Mr. Morton has been appointed by judges of the Superior Court of the State of California as an expert witness for the court pursuant to Evidence Code Section 730 to render opinions as to valuation, cash flow available for support, and other matters relative to forensic accounting in family law proceedings. Mr. Morton is also experienced in analyzing the financial impact of various settlement options and has experience evaluating the tax and financial implications of dividing marital property as well as child and spousal support payments.
Mr. Morton has more than two decades of broad-based business valuation experience in a variety of industries. Mr. Morton has significant experience determining discounts for lack of control and lack of marketability for fractional interests in real property and for interests in business entities which hold real property and marketable securities, debt instruments, and other traditional and non-traditional assets. He is also experienced with determining the valuation impact of holding investment assets inside a C corporation, as well as valuing non-voting securities, debt instruments, restricted and other illiquid blocks of common stock, and other non-traditional business interests. Mr. Morton’s comprehensive knowledge of valuation theory and industry specific valuation drivers provides for an independent, credible, and knowledgeable valuation which can withstand the intense scrutiny of the taxing authority, courts, and other arbiters. Mr. Morton offers expert witness testimony in all valuation and forensic accounting matters.
Mr. Morton is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed to practice in the State of California, and is Accredited in Business Valuation and Certified in Financial Forensics by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Morton is an Accredited Senior Appraiser (Business Valuation) of the American Society of Appraisers and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst of the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. Mr. Morton is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Prior to founding Reitz & Morton, Mr. Morton worked at FMV Opinions, Inc., a national business valuation and financial advisory services firm headquartered in Irvine, California. Mr. Morton graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a degree in Economics, and was the Captain of the UCI Men’s Tennis Team.
Formal Education
Bachelor of Arts, Economics
University of California, Irvine, 2005
Professional Affiliations
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV)
American Society of Appraisers
Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA)
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF)
California Board of Accountancy
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts
Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA)