bio-3

Yigal M. Rechtman, CPA, CFE, CITP, CISM

Partner

Yigal M. Rechtman, CPA, CFE, CITP, CISM, is a Partner with RSZ Forensic Associates, a New York City-based forensic accounting and litigation consulting firm. Since 1994, Yigal has specialized in fraud investigation and forensic accounting, information technology, data mining, computer aided auditing, statistical analysis, and internal controls, and he is qualified as an expert witness in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. He manages engagements of forensic accounting, fraud investigations, electronic discovery, search for assets and income sources, operational analysis and attestation, and financial audits. These engagements include fraud investigation, litigation support, evaluation of internal controls, risk analysis, computerized information systems evaluation, and HIPAA compliance. Yigal has significant experience in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, real estate, construction, professional services, hospitality and dining, not-for-profit, technology, closely-held companies, manufacturing and distribution, ERISA plans, and education.
Throughout Yigal’s career,  he held positions of greater and varied responsibilities, including an Audit Senior,  IT Specialist, a Partner with a local CPA firm, and the Principal and Director of Forensic Accounting at two regional CPA firms. He has authored numerous articles on information technology,  fraud,  accounting,  attest and audit, and is an active member of the editorial board of The CPA Journal. He lectures at schools and other venues about technology assurance, forensic accounting and information systems and is a professor at the Lubin School of Business, and the New York campus of Pace University, where Yigal also teaches forensic accounting, auditing and accounting information systems, in both the graduate and undergraduate programs.

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science, New York University
  • Master of Science degree in Accounting, Lubin Graduate School at Pace University

Professional Memberships, Certifications and Affiliations:

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
    • Certified Public Accountant
    • Certified Information Technology Professional
  • New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants
    • Member, Technology Assurance Committee (past Committee Chair)
    • Member, Audit Standards Committee
    • Member, Consulting Division Oversight Committee (past Committee Chair)
    • Member, Editorial Board, The CPA Journal
  • Certified Fraud Examiners
  • Information System Audit and Control Association
    • Certified Information Security Manager
  • National Academy of Public Accounting Professionals
    • Recipient of the 2015 Top 10 Accountants in New York State
  • Professor, Lubin School of Business, Pace University, New York campus
  • Editorial Board Member, The CPA Journal

Yigal has consulted and served on a wide variety of matters, including:

  • $900,000 embezzlement with document altering fraud (case accepted by insurance and referred to criminal prosecution).
  • $1 million to $3 million accountant’s malpractice (cases settled).
  • $1 million case, working for Court appointed referee in a medical-provider allegation of asset misappropriation.
  • $1.5 million lawsuit among two groups of owners of a software/middleware makers (served as neutral expert)
  • $2 million of kickback scheme (case settled, referred to criminal prosecution).
  • $2 million case of a restaurant in court-appointed receivership  to settle a allegations of fraud, minority shareholder abuse, and mismanagement
  • $4 million inventory theft (case settled for $3.8 million, referred to criminal prosecution).
  • $4 million claim in a case alleging fraud and claw-back of asset in a matrimonial cross-party suit where both spouses were deceased.
  • $5 million claim against trustee, required trust accounting for years were records were scant (case pending, Surrogate’s court).
  • $11 million claim of construction costs and post-purchase tort
  • $17 million class action suit about cost allocation in technology (case settled).
  • $40 million damages from a contract breach (case settled for $32 million).
  • Assisted in representation of multiple matters ranging from $300,000 to $1.6m of New York State’s HCRA compliance review and audit.