Elaine Harwood heads Cornerstone Research’s accounting practice. She specializes in financial accounting, financial reporting, and auditing issues that arise in complex litigation. Dr. Harwood has also consulted on liability and damages issues in securities, financial institutions, antitrust, and breach of contract cases.
Dr. Harwood’s expertise includes evaluating whether financial statements were prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and whether audit and review procedures complied with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). She has prepared “but-for” financial statements, assessed materiality, and evaluated the adequacy of disclosures contained in SEC filings. Dr. Harwood has directed research in prominent securities class action cases, including In re AOL Time Warner Inc. Securities Litigation, In re Omnicom Group Inc. Securities Litigation, and In re Williams Securities Litigation. She has extensive experience consulting with attorneys on accounting issues and addressing areas where accounting, valuation, and damages intersect.
Before joining Cornerstone Research, Dr. Harwood was a professor at Boston College. She is a certified public accountant and has a Ph.D. in business administration with a concentration in accounting.