Ralph Q. Summerford

Ralph Q. Summerford

Ralph Q. Summerford is the president of Forensic Strategic Solutions, LLC. Mr. Summerford has a broad range of forensic expertise, testifying as an expert witness in federal and state courts on matters involving complicated financial transaction, including fraud, economic damages, business valuation, bankruptcy and accountants’ malpractice. He works closely with plaintiff and defense attorneys, corporate boards and audit committees, bankruptcy trustees and creditors’ committees, insurance company special investigation units, government inspector generals, and governmental entities.

Mr. Summerford has served as a faculty member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) for over 20 years, traveling around the United States and abroad teaching fraud examination courses to auditors, bank examiners, law enforcement, attorneys, and financial analysts. Mr. Summerford is rated consistently as one of the top instructors where he receives outstanding reviews from the individuals who attend his courses.

Mr. Summerford was recognized by the ACFE with the 2010 Cressey Award. The Cressey Award is the ACFE’s highest honor, which recognizes a lifetime of achievement in the detection and deterrence of fraud. Mr. Summerford also served as the Vice Chairman for the ACFE Board of Regents, Past Chairman of its Professional Standards and Practices Committee, and Past Chairman of its Board of Review. He is a guest lecturer at seminars, colleges and universities where he strives to enhance the understanding of fraud and forensic accounting. He has published articles that have appeared in Accounting Today, Preventing Business Fraud, Financial Fraud, Bank Fraud & IT Security Report, Dunn on Damages, and Fraud Magazine.

credentials Areas of Focus & case studies Memberships & affiliations civic & community engagement representative seminars & lectures publications blogs & videos

Education

  • Bachelor of Science, University of Alabama, 1968

Professional designations & Certifications

  • CPA:  Certified Public Accountant, 1971
  • CFE:  Certified Fraud Examiner, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, 1993
  • CIRA:  Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor, 2003
  • ABV:  Accredited in Business Valuation, 2006
  • CFF:  Certified in Financial Forensics, 2008
  • CDBV: Certified in Distressed Business Valuation, 2014

Areas of Focus

  • Forensic and investigative accounting
  • Bankruptcy and insolvency
  • Litigation consulting
  • Fraud examination
  • Economic damages
  • Accountants’ malpractice

case studies

  • ACFE Board of Review, Chairman, 2004 – 2007
  • ACFE Board of Regents, Vice Chairman, 2000 – 2003
  • ACFE Member of Professional Standards and Practices Committee, Chairman, 1996 – 1999
  • Former Panel of Experts, Dunn on Damages, published by Valuation Products & Service, LLC
  • Former Editorial Board Member, Bank Fraud & IT Security Report published by Southeast Consulting, Inc.
  • Former President, Vice President, and Program Committee Chairman, Alabama Chapter of the ACFE
  • Faculty Member and Member, ACFE
  • Former Member, University of Alabama in Birmingham Accounting Advisory Council
  • Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Member, Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors
  • Member, Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants, Past Chairman of Practice Review Committee
  • Member, Various State Boards of Certified Public Accountants
  • Member, Advisory Board , UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Former Member and Officer, American Institute on Federal Taxation
  • Member, Birmingham Kiwanis Club
  • Former Member and Director, Birmingham Broadway Series
  • Former Member, Birmingham YMCA Board of Management
  • Former Director, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham, Inc.
  • Member, University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Comprehensive Cancer Center Advisory Board
  • Finding Fraud in all the Wrong Places, 19th Annual ACFE Fraud Conference and Exhibition, Boston, MA;  Institute of Internal Auditors, Bonita Springs, FL
  • Decreasing Damages in an Emotionally Charged Case and Damage Experts in Business Valuation and Breach Business Fiduciary Duty Cases, DRI Damages Seminar,  Las Vegas, NV
  • Building Your Fraud Examination Practice  
  • Suspicious Activity Reporting: A Plan for Compliance, An Internal Auditor’s Approach to Fraud Investigation, Who Killed Sarbanes-Oxley?, Topics in Building Your Fraud Examination Practice, Financial Profiling: Following the Money Trail, Fundamentals of Writing Expert Reports, and Fraud and Abuse in Construction Projects, 18th Annual ACFE Conference and Exhibition
  • Fraud Detection and Prevention, Ethical and Lawful Workplace Investigations, and Forensic Investigation: When the Office is a Crime Scene, ACFE 17th Annual Fraud Seminar, Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter, Dallas, TX
  • What to Do After Your Client Discovers Fraud, Birmingham Bar Association
  • Effective Media Pitching to Build Brand Awareness & Attract Clients, AICPA National Fraud Conference and Litigation Services, Las Vegas, NV

Blogs

Videos