Analyzing financial statements has been a task traditionally performed by investment bankers and accountants. However, with accounting scandals threatening to erode confidence in corporate America, attorneys are taking on a prominent role in preparing and analyzing financial statements. From financial statement reporting to detecting fraud, this Continuing Legal Education (CLE/MCLE) course is designed to give attorneys a two hour overview of accounting techniques, their relevance, and problems associated with each.

Click here to download Chapter 1 of The Wall Street MBA by Telestrat President Reuben Advani

1. Accounting Basics
   • Double Entry Accounting
   • Cash vs. Accrual Accounting
   • Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
   • Auditor's Report
   • Footnotes
2. Balance Sheet
   • Uses
   • Components
   • Analysis
   • Links to Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement
3. Income Statement
   • Uses
   • Components
   • Analysis
   • Links to Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement
   • Revenue Recognition
4. Cash Flow Statement
   • Uses
   • Components
   • Analysis
   • Links to Income Statement and Balance Sheet
   • Optimal Cash Balance

Reuben Advani

Former Investment Banker, Author, Professor

Reuben Advani is president of Telestrat Consulting, Inc., a financial advisory boutique which specializes in corporate valuation. Mr. Advani began his career with the Wall Street bank, Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. where he worked in the firm’s corporate finance division. At Morgan Stanley, he performed detailed valuation analysis on acquisition targets for Fortune 500 companies and oversaw the coordination of several debt and equity issuances. After Morgan Stanley, Mr. Advani joined Sony Corporation of America where he was active in the development of Sony's online initiatives. Mr. Advani has provided consulting services to companies throughout the U.S. and Latin America and has held interim positions with several of them including CFO and COO. He is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from corporate valuation to financial reporting and is the author of The Wall Street MBA (McGraw-Hill).

Mr. Advani holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA from the Wharton School, and serves as an adjunct professor of finance at Drexel University.