Margaret Fischer is the founder and managing director of Cortland Valuation Group, Inc. (“CVG”). She oversees the firm’s tax planning and compliance group and concentrates her practice on business valuation, the valuation and structuring of partnerships and limited liability companies, and liti­gation support. Her casework includes the valuation and financial analysis of business interests, derivative interests, securities, intangible assets, and intellectual property. Ms. Fischer’s industry experience includes biotech, communications, energy, manufacturing, real estate and construction, software, technology, private equity, hedge funds and venture capital, among others.

Ms. Fischer has over 20 years experience performing valuation and transaction advisory services. Prior to CVG, she was a director at Caliber Advisors where she led the tax valuation group for small and mid-sized businesses. Prior to Caliber, Ms. Fischer was an associate managing director in the valuation division of Kroll Zolfo Cooper, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kroll Inc. In this role, she performed the company's internal SFAS 141 and SFAS 142 financial reporting valuations, managed the valua­tion of multi-billion-dollar entities undergoing restructuring, and maintained a local practice per­forming business and partnership valuations. Before joining Kroll, she was a senior associate at Business Valuation Services (CBIZ) and director of valuation services for The Valuations Group in Memphis, Tennessee. Ms. Fischer began her career as a real estate analyst, appraising various types of commercial real estate - apartment complexes, subdivision developments, office and industrial buildings, and shopping centers.

Professional Affiliations:

• CFA Charterholder, CFA Institute
• Member, CFA Society of Washington, DC
• Accredited Senior Appraiser, American Society of Appraisers
• Associate Member, Appraisal Institute
• Member, Appraisal Issues Task Force (AITF)
• Member, National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)

Selected Speaking Engagements:

• Wells Fargo Foothill, Applied Valuation Principals, 2009
• CompTel Plus Convention, From Tee to Green: Strategies For a Company from Start-up to Sale, Valuation Considerations, 2008
• University of California San Diego, Business Valuation Course BUSA40477, 2007
• Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Business Valuations: Art, Science or Voodoo?, 2003
• Internal Revenue Service, Western Region, Valuation Implications of Built-in Capital Gains Tax, 2000.
• Estate Planning Council of San Diego, Determining the FMV of Fractional Interests, 1999.
• American Society of Appraisers San Diego, Valuation Issues for Partial Interests in Asset Holding Companies, 1998.