AI is rapidly infiltrating a wide range of industries and businesses — and business valuation is no exception. While some practitioners remain skeptical or at least reluctant, one long-time Ohio-based valuation professional is all in and believes others should follow suit.
Steve Brunner, CPA, CVA, MAFF, CM&AA, is co-founder of Liske & Brunner, a full-service accounting firm where he heads the business valuation practice. He first started noodling around with generative AI tools last year but didn’t begin seriously incorporating it into his valuation work until 2026. “This year is the most I’ve been using it,” he says. “I’m fired up about it. It’s a good business decision.”
The time-saving benefits of AI tools are widely discussed, but Brunner also touts the knowledge-building capabilities. “I can honestly say that I learn something every day that I didn’t know, whether on the valuation, tax, or accounting side. That’s very powerful.”
Here’s how he’s integrating AI into his practice.
Brunner has found that AI tools save him substantial time as he works through valuation engagements, especially when it comes to research.
“Research was way more difficult and time consuming before,” he says. “AI can help you find and synthesize information across your content. Ask a question, and it can generate a concise summary while citing the relevant source documents—often in under 30 seconds.”
AI can also be helpful when a valuation professional is preparing to serve as an expert witness in litigation. In one recent assignment, Brunner used AI to analyze both his position and the opposing counsel’s position, then asked it to identify potential strategies or arguments he might not have considered.
“I’m using AI almost as a consultant. It’s like having a discussion with the most experienced partner down the hall. It gives me another perspective and often raises points I hadn’t considered.”
Brunner recommends using enterprise AI platforms that provide organizational privacy and security controls, along with redacting or removing sensitive information before uploading documents. He also emphasizes that AI-generated responses should be verified rather than accepted at face value. “I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years, so if an answer doesn’t make sense based on what I know, or I don’t understand it conceptually, I dig deeper to make sure it applies to my specific situation.”
Despite that important caveat, Brunner is optimistic about the potential impact of AI on the resolution of valuation-related disputes. “If experts use it the right way, we should produce stronger reports that aren’t so far apart,” he says. “Of course, you’ll still have people who advocate and do what they want to do if the AI doesn’t tell them what they want it to.”
AI tools also are revolutionizing how valuation professionals handle the aspects of their practice that aren’t focused on reaching the value for a specific business — the critical day-to-day operations and mundane steps that keep the practice moving forward. Brunner cites the ability to tackle such tasks much faster than possible in the past.
For example, he uses Copilot to prepare for calls or meetings. “I’ve been in the situation where I have five minutes to prepare for a call,” he says. “I can ask for a summary of everything on this particular matter and, within seconds, get something that identifies the open items, the next steps, etc.
“And, at the end of the week, I’ll ask whether there are any emails, tasks, or follow-ups that I haven’t addressed. It’s like having a secretary!”
Less Optional Every Day
AI tools can give valuation professionals a clear competitive edge. For example, if an opposing expert uses the technology and you do not, that expert may have a significant advantage.
For Brunner, the use of these tools in valuation is a no-brainer. “If you’re the type of person who always wants to get better, learn more, and improve your process, it’s going to make you so much better at your job.”
Steve Brunner offers over 25 years of tax and accounting experience and leads our business valuation and mergers and acquisitions practice. He serves as an advisor to his clients as both a tax professional and fractional CFO, having worked extensively in public accounting and as the CFO of a successful contractor in Northern Kentucky.
As a business valuation and litigation support expert, Steve has valued over 200 businesses, covering such areas as family law matters, business damages, buy-sell agreements, shareholder litigation, estate and gift tax matters, and buying and selling businesses. Steve has testified as an expert in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana courts. In addition, he offers advanced expertise as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF), and a Certified Mergers & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA). Steve resides in Villa Hills, Kentucky with his wife, Amy, and has two adult daughters.
