James Godbout

James “Jim” Godbout is a Lead Managing Director at CBIZ in the Forensic Consulting Group, located in our Chicago office. Jim has provided valuation, dispute advisory, financial consulting and forensic accounting services for numerous purposes, including marital dissolutions, shareholder disputes, estate and gift taxation, business succession planning, commercial litigation, economic damage analysis, breach of contract, property tax appeals, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, class action suits, reasonable compensation, financing, purchase and sale advisement, executive stock options, and other tax, corporate and litigation related matters. He has testified in federal court, state court and at American Arbitration Association proceedings. Additionally, Jim has been trained in mediation and collaborative law.

Jim’s experience encompasses a wide range of industries, including but not limited to automotive, banking, physician practices, dental practices, insurance, manufacturing, law firms, healthcare, financial services, private equity funds, hotels, assisted living, retailing, wholesale distribution, consulting, trucking, brokerage, construction, restaurants, software, and consumer products. He has lectured, published articles and presented continuing education seminars for organizations such as the American Bar Association, American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the Northwestern University School of Law, the John Marshall Law School, the Illinois CPA Society, National Family Law Trial Institute and several local bar associations. Jim previously served as the Business Valuation Chairperson for the Chicago Chapter of the American Society of Appraisers.

Jim previously served as the Business Valuation Chairperson for the Chicago Chapter of the American Society of Appraisers. He is a current member of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA), the Institute of Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the Financial Planning Association, the Chicago Estate Planning Council and a Charter Member of the AAML Foundation – Forensic and Business Valuation Division.

Professional Affiliations

• American Society of Appraisers (ASA)
• National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA)
• Institute of Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA)
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
• Financial Planning Association
• Chicago Estate Planning Council
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Foundation Forensic & Business Valuation Division – Charter Member