Forensic Accounting Case:

You get a call for a new litigation support engagement from a reputable attorney from a well-regarded firm. He is defending a woman who has been accused of insider trading.

The attorney is seeking an expert witness to summarize certain voluminous financial information for the jury as a "summary witness." Most of the work can be done easily in Excel. You have adequate time and professional skill to do the work. You haven't had a chance to meet the defendant, but nothing in the scope of work relies on the defendant or her assertions.

Your only concern is that you've already heard a lot about the case from the newspaper. The case has been publicly reported, and the whole world seems to believe that the potential client is guilty of insider trading. The government has been very aggressive in prosecuting this case. You know that the newspapers never report the whole story, but it seems like the defendant will have a very difficult time trying to prove her innocence.

The attorney assures you that your role will be limited to summarizing and presenting certain data. Your will not be asked to testify about the underlying conduct and whether or not it is insider trading.

You wonder if you should take the case. What if you are associated with a client that gets convicted of a crime?Will that hurt your professional reputation? What should you do?