William Jeffers, CFA

William Jeffers, CFA
Managing Principal
847.902.9465
WJeffers@TheGriffingGroup.com

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William Jeffers, CFA is a Managing Principal at The Griffing Group. Mr. Jeffers provides financial valuation services to attorneys and corporate clients for use in complex commercial litigation and M&A transactions. Since joining the firm in 2010, Mr. Jeffers has been retained to provide expert witness testimony and expert consulting services in a number of litigation matters adjudicated in the Delaware Court of Chancery and other venues. His analysis has focused on determining the value of securities and measuring economic damages in M&A litigation, shareholder disputes, and contract disputes.

Mr. Jeffers has spent his entire professional career analyzing businesses, business interests, and financial assets to determine their value. During the past 23 years, Mr. Jeffers has valued business interests for financial and tax reporting purposes, in addition to his litigation work. Prior to this, Mr. Jeffers spent 15 years as a commercial banker responsible for providing financing for large and medium-sized companies in various industries, located primarily in the Midwest.

  • CFA® Charterholder, CFA Institute
  • Master of Business Administration, Finance, Investment and Banking, University of Wisconsin, 1983
  • Master of Science, Urban and Regional Planning, Concentration: Economic and Fiscal Planning, University of Wisconsin, 1982
  • Master of Arts, Political Science, Concentration: Political Economy, University of Wisconsin, 1980
  • Bachelor of Arts, Government, Oberlin College, 1977

EXPERT WITNESS ENGAGEMENTS

State of Delaware

Court of Chancery

Russell Thiele et al. v. Kashiv Biosciences, LLC et al., C.A. No. 2022-0272-LWW, June 2023.

  • Provided an affidavit to analyze the damages caused by overpaying for the acquisition of a 98% interest in Kashiv Specialty Pharmaceuticals.

James E. Parker et al. v. Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 2020-0280-PAF, June 2023.

  • Provided an affidavit to value the proposed settlement of a claim of direct and derivative damages caused by a recapitalization of the company in 2019.

Matthew Sciabacucchi on Behalf of TransDigm Group Inc. v. W. Nicholas Howley et al., C.A. No. 2021-0938-LWW, November 2022.

  • Provided an affidavit to assess the benefit accrued to TransDigm as a result of a proposed settlement.

Mark Jacobs et al. v. Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives Inc., C.A. 2019-1022-MTZ, November 2022.

  • Provided an affidavit related to benefits accrued to the shareholders as a result of the 2021 recapitalization.

Leon A. Malca v. Rappi, Inc. and Sebastian Mejia, C.A. 2020-0152-MTZ, May 2022.

  • Provided an opening expert report and deposition testimony regarding the fair value of Rappi, an online delivery company in Latin America.

Bardy Diagnostics v. Hill-Rom et al., C.A. No. 2021-0175-JRS, May 2021.

  • Provided opening and rebuttal expert reports and deposition and trial testimony regarding the economic and financial foundation of a Material Adverse Effect that was claimed by Hill-Rom. The trial outcome is pending.

AM General Holdings LLC v. The Renco Group, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 7639-VCS, December 2018.

  • Provided a rebuttal expert report and deposition testimony regarding issues related to loans made by an affiliated company to The Renco Group.

In Re Appraisal of Columbia Pipeline Group, Inc., C.A. No. 12736-VCL, August 2018.

  • Provided opening and rebuttal expert reports and deposition testimony regarding the fair value of the common stock of Columbia Pipeline Group, Inc. in connection with appraisal litigation related to its acquisition by TransCanada Corporation.

City of Daytona Beach Police and Fire Pension Fund v. ExamWorks Group, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 12481-VCL, January 2017.

  • Provided opening and rebuttal expert reports regarding the fair value of the common stock of ExamWorks, a provider of independent medical examinations that was taken private.

Charles Kusnyer, et al. v. Platinum Energy Resources, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 7063-VCMR, November 2015.

  • Provided an expert report regarding the fair value of the common stock of Platinum Energy Resources, an oil and gas production company that was taken private by its majority owner.

In Re Globe Specialty Metals, Inc. Stockholders Litigation, C.A. No. 10865-VCG, July 2015.

  • Provided opening and rebuttal expert reports regarding economic damages incurred in the stock-for-stock merger of Globe Specialty Metals, Inc. and Grupo FerroAtlántica, S.A.U.

City of Miami General Employees’ and Sanitation Employees’ Retirement Trust, et al. v. C&J Energy Services, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 9980-VCN, November 2014.

  • Provided an expert report and deposition testimony regarding the adequacy of the consideration to be paid to shareholders of C&J Energy Services in a proposed merger with a subsidiary of Nabors Industries Ltd.

In Re Safeway Inc. Stockholders Litigation, C.A. No. 9445-VCL, August 2014.

  • Provided an expert declaration regarding the economic impact of a settlement related to changes to contingent value rights offered as part of the consideration in the acquisition of Safeway.

Blackthorn Partners, L.P. v. John C. Malone, et al., C.A. No. 5260-VCS, January 2012.

  • Calculated economic damages related to a series of complex restructuring transactions in the broadcast media industry.

Viamericas Corp., et al. v. MicroVest I, L.P., et al., C.A. No. 6741-VCL, November 2011.

  • Provided deposition and trial testimony regarding the economic impact of tag-along rights on an institutional shareholder’s attempted sale of its equity interest in a money transfer services company.

United States Bankruptcy Court

District of Delaware

In Re: Mallinckrodt PLC., et al. Case No. 20-12522(JTD), December 2020.

  • Provided an expert declaration and deposition and trial testimony regarding the appointment of an official equity committee.

United States District Court

Northern District of California

Sai Sravan Bharadwaj Karri et al. v. Oclaro, Inc. et al., C.A. No. 3:18-cv-03435-JD, August 2022.

  • Provided expert and rebuttal reports and deposition testimony related to damages to shareholders caused by a misleading proxy which understated the value of the company being sold.

Eastern District of New York

Moses, et al. v. Apple Hospitality REIT Inc., Case No. 1:14-cv-03131, August 2017.

  • Provided an expert declaration which estimated damages caused by the unfair pricing of shares purchased through the REIT’s dividend reinvestment program.

Northern District of New York

Jeffrey Chery et al. v. Conduent Education Services, LLC et al. Case No. 1:18-cv-75, April 2021.

  • Provided expert and rebuttal reports and deposition testimony regarding damages suffered by a class of student loan borrowers whose loans were serviced by Conduent Educational Services.

Southern District of New York

In Re Helios and Matheson Analytics, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 1:18-cv-06965, July 2020.

  • Provided an expert declaration which estimated damages caused by Helios and Matheson in their attempt to grow and develop the MoviePass venture.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Superior Court Department, Suffolk County, SS.

Anthony Oates, et al. v. BlueHub Capital, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 20-0450-H, May 2023.

  • Provided an opening expert report and rebuttal report regarding the economics and benefits of a mortgage lending operation focused on the sub-prime borrowers facing foreclosure.

State of California

Superior Court of California – County of Los Angeles

In Re 99¢ Only Stores Shareholder Litigation, Lead Case No. BC457251, March 2011.

  • Provided an expert declaration regarding the adequacy of proxy disclosures in a going private transaction for a discount retailer.

State of Michigan

Circuit Court for the County of Oakland, Business Court

Leslie J. Murphy, et al. v. Samuel M. Inman, III et al. Case No. 17-159571-CB, October 2023.

  • Provided an expert report regarding damage caused by the failure of the Board of Directors of Covisint to carry out their Revlon duties in the sale of the company.

State of Ohio

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas – Division of Domestic Relations

Pukita v. Pukita, Case No. 11DR-02-0607, July 2014.

  • At the request of the Court, provided an expert report and deposition testimony regarding the value of an executive recruiting and staffing company.

LITIGATION SUPPORT ENGAGEMENTS

State of Delaware

Court of Chancery

LongPath Capital, LLC v. Ramtron International Corporation, C.A. No. 8094-VCP, 2014.

  • Provided analysis related to this appraisal case concerning the fair value of Ramtron International Corp., a semiconductor company.

Frank G. Pilkiewicz, Ph.D., et al. v. Transave, LLC, C.A. No. 6319-CS, 2013-2014.

  • Provided analysis related to this appraisal case concerning the fair value of Transave, LLC, a biopharmaceutical company.

In Re Google Inc. Class C Shareholder Litigation, Consol. C.A. No. 7469-CS, 2012-2013.

  • Provided analysis related to a motion to enjoin Google’s issuance of a new class of nonvoting shares.

In Re TPC Group, Inc. Shareholders Litigation, C.A. 7865-CS, 2012-2013.

  • Provided analysis related to a motion to enjoin the acquisition of petrochemical company TPC Group, Inc. by First Reserve Corp. and SK Capital Partners.

Edgewater Growth Capital Partners, L.P., et al. v. H.I.G. Capital, Inc., et al., C.A. 3601-CS, 2012.

  • Provided analysis regarding the fair market value of Pendum, LLC, an ATM servicing company.

New Jersey Carpenters Pension Fund v. infoGROUP, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 5334-VCN, 2011-2013.

  • Provided analysis regarding the fair value of infoGROUP, Inc., a marketing services and data company.

In Re El Paso Corporation Shareholder Litigation, C.A. 6949-CS, 2011-2012.

  • Provided analysis related to a motion to enjoin the acquisition of natural gas company El Paso Corp. by Kinder Morgan, Inc.

In Re Massey Energy Co. Derivative and Class Action Litigation, Consol. C.A. No. 5430-VCS, 2011-2012.

  • Provided analysis related to a motion to enjoin the acquisition of coal company Massey Energy Co. by Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.

In Re Novell, Inc. Shareholder Litigation, C.A. No. 6032-VCN, 2011-2012.

  • Provided analysis related to a motion to enjoin the acquisition of software company Novell, Inc. by Attachmate Corp.

State of Illinois

Circuit Court of Cook County

Burke v. McNally, et al., No. 04 L 12109, 2010-2011.

  • Provided analysis regarding the fair market value of a private equity firm in connection with this shareholder dispute.

Blackhawks 2010, Inc. (f/k/a The Higher Gear Group, Inc.) v. Jeffrey Wulbert, No. 10 CCH 54790, 2010-2013.

  • Provided analysis regarding the fair value of a customer management software firm in connection with this shareholder dispute.

State of New Jersey

Superior Court, Chancery Division

In Re Pamrapo Bancorp Shareholder Litigation, Docket No. C-89-09, 2013.

  • Provided analysis regarding the fair market value of Pamrapo Bancorp, Inc.

State of Oklahoma

District Court of Stephens County

James M. Ferguson, et al. v. J.R. Montgomery Bancorporation, No. CJ-2010-363R, 2010-2013.

  • Provided analysis regarding the fair value of J.R. Montgomery Bancorporation.

State of Texas

District Court of Harris County

In the Matter of the Marriage of R.E.D. and S.C.D., 2010.

  • Provided analysis regarding the fair market value of a large gasoline and convenience store chain in connection with this marital dissolution.