Paul Habibi, CPA/ABV/CFF :: JurisPro Expert Witness Directory

Introduction

Paul Habibi is Principal and Founder of Grayslake Advisors, a real estate expert services firm based in Los Angeles and New York City. Grayslake's client's include publicly traded Fortune 500 companies, as well as privately held, small businesses, non-profit organizations and associations and individuals.

He has been retained as an expert witness in 300+ real estate litigation and regulatory matters, on engagements involving financial analysis, economic damages, accounting, valuation, and industry custom and practice. He has testified in some of the highest-profile matters in the country, in federal and state courts, including the Delaware Court of Chancery, and ADR forums. He has been retained by the vast majority of the AmLaw100 firms on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.

He is a Senior Continuing Lecturer at UCLA Anderson School of Management, Continuing Lecturer in Law at UCLA School of Law, Faculty Advisor at UCLA Department of Economics, real estate investor and developer, expert witness and corporate board director. As the only person in the history of UCLA to hold continuing appointments at both UCLA Anderson School of Management and UCLA School of Law, he has two decades of experience teaching courses in real estate, accounting, corporate finance and economics. He is consistently a top finalist for the Teacher of the Year award.

Widely quoted, he has appeared on BBC World News, Bloomberg, CNN, FOX News, NBC's Today Show, NPR and all major dailies, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Financial Times. A highly sought-after speaker, he regularly presents to leading business, government and nonprofit organizations.

He is co-founder and principal of Habibi Properties and affiliates, which own and manage thousands of multi-family and single-family residential units in Los Angeles and the Midwest. In early 2011, Habibi Properties pioneered the single-family rental (SFR) industry, acquiring, rehabilitating and leasing hundreds of homes in Kansas City. Habibi Properties and affiliates also own and manage agricultural orchards in Central California and wine vineyards in Paso Robles.

He earned an MBA with Highest Distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a B.A. from UC Santa Barbara. He is a CPA, Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) and Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF), as well as a Real Estate Broker. He serves as an industrial advisor for EQT Partners (Stockholm: EQT AB). He is also an angel investor and advisor to multiple early-stage ventures, as well as a qualified audit committee financial expert.

Please call or email for a complimentary consultation: (424) 256-6230 or paul@grayslakeadvisors.com

Areas of Expertise

Auditing
Commercial Real Estate
Finance
Mortgages
Property Management
Real Estate Damages
Real Estate Finance
Real Estate Leasing
Real Estate Valuation
Residential Real Estate

Expert Background

Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:: A: Education: MBA with Highest Distinction, University of Michigan Ross School of Business; BA in Business Economics and Accounting, University of California, Santa Barbara
Certifications: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Accredited in Business Valuation, (ABV) Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF), Licensed Real Estate Broker and Salesperson
Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:: A: Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Member, American Bar Association (ABA), Litigation Section
Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:: A: Senior Lecturer in Real Estate and Finance, UCLA Anderson School of Management
Continuing Lecturer in Law, UCLA School of Law
Faculty Advisor, UCLA Department of Economics
Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain): A: No
Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?: A: Over 300 expert witness engagements
Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?: A: Real estate industry custom and practice, valuation, economic damages, accounting, economics, financial analysis, and across all property types, including single-family residential, multifamily, retail, office, industrial, hotel, and other specialized uses.
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?: A: Approximately 40%
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?: A: Approximately 60%
Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?: A: Over 150 occasions
Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?: A: Within the past month
Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?: A: 10 occasions in a jury or bench trial.
Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?: A: 15 occasions before an arbitrator or arbitration panel.
Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?: A: 15+ years.
Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.): A: Consulting and testifying expert roles, including preparation of expert reports and deposition and trial testimony.
Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?: A: $1,550/hour
Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?: A: $1,550/hour
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?: A: $1,550/hour
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?: A: $1,550/hour
Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.): A: Same rate for all time incurred. Also, I lead an experienced team of professionals ranging from Analyst through Managing Director, allowing us to achieve a blended hourly rate lower than my own. Our firm also has other affiliated experts who testify in other real estate subject areas. Please visit our team page at www.grayslakeadvisors.com/team/

References

Available Upon Request