About Jack Ross Forensic Accountants

Our Heritage

Jack Ross Chartered Accountants has served businesses and individuals from Manchester since 1948. What began as a traditional chartered accountancy practice has evolved over seven decades into one of the North West's most trusted providers of forensic accounting services.

From our Manchester office at Barnfield House, The Approach, M3 7BX - just five minutes' walk from Manchester Civil Justice Centre - we provide forensic accounting, expert witness, and business valuation services to solicitors across England and Wales.

Our Expert Team

Peter Black, Senior Partner

Peter is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA) with over forty years' experience in forensic accounting and litigation support. As head of the firm's litigation support department, Peter has been directly involved in hundreds of financial remedy and commercial dispute cases.

Peter has given expert witness testimony in the High Court, including the reported case of N & N (2001), and has been increasingly appointed as a Single Joint Expert in financial remedy proceedings. He has also provided evidence in the Crown Court in criminal matters. His depth of courtroom experience and reputation for impartiality make him a trusted choice for solicitors handling complex financial disputes.

Umar Memon FCA, Managing Partner

Umar is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and serves as Managing Partner of Jack Ross Chartered Accountants. His forensic expertise spans business valuations in matrimonial proceedings, taxation implications of separation, loss of earnings from breach of contract, and advisory work for court documentation.

Umar is regularly appointed as a Single Joint Expert in financial remedy proceedings, valuing business interests, appraising contracts, and acting in both matrimonial disputes and commercial disputes involving business owners. He has given expert witness testimony in court and combines conventional accounting practice with specialist forensic expertise. His ability to present complex financial matters clearly to judges and barristers is consistently praised by instructing solicitors.

Talha Raja ACA, Senior Manager

Talha joined Jack Ross from PwC, bringing Big Four rigour to the firm's forensic practice. As Senior Manager, Talha plays a key role in the firm's litigation support work, handling complex financial matters including business valuations, taxation analysis, and loss of earnings calculations arising from breach of contract.

Working alongside Peter and Umar, Talha has developed deep expertise in financial remedy proceedings and contributes to the preparation of expert reports, court documentation, and forensic analysis. His combination of large-firm training and specialist forensic experience ensures that every instruction receives the thoroughness and attention it demands.

Our Approach

Every instruction we accept is treated with the same rigour, whether we are appointed as a Single Joint Expert or engaged by one party. Our overriding duty is to the court, and we take that obligation seriously.

We follow CPR Part 35 and FPR Part 25 requirements as standard. Our reports are clear, defensible, and written to withstand cross-examination. We don't shy away from court attendance - between them, Peter and Umar have decades of courtroom experience across the High Court, County Courts, and Crown Court.

We also offer fixed fee agreements where appropriate, giving solicitors and their clients certainty over costs from the outset. No surprises, no hourly rate escalation - just transparent pricing for transparent work.

Professional Credentials

Our team holds qualifications from the following professional bodies:

• ICAEW - Fellows (FCA) and Members (ACA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. ICAEW members are bound by a strict ethical code covering integrity, objectivity, professional competence, confidentiality, and professional behaviour.
• ACCA - The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants provides additional oversight and professional standards that complement our ICAEW obligations.
• CIOT - Membership of the Chartered Institute of Taxation ensures our tax advisory work meets the highest professional standards, particularly relevant in separation and divorce tax matters.

Why Solicitors Choose Us

• Responsive turnaround: We understand court deadlines. Draft reports are typically delivered within 4-6 weeks of receiving instructions and supporting documentation.
• Clear, jargon-free reports: Our reports are written for judges and barristers, not accountants. Complex financial data is presented in plain English with clear conclusions.
• Court attendance: Both Peter Black and Umar Memon regularly attend court to give oral evidence. We don't just write reports - we stand behind them.
• Fixed fees available: For appropriate instructions, we offer fixed fee agreements so your client knows the cost from the outset.
• National coverage: Based in Manchester but regularly instructed on matters across England and Wales, including London, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle and courts across England and Wales.

Ready to discuss an instruction? Contact us for a confidential, no-obligation conversation about your client's needs.

What Barristers and Solicitors Say

"I have been a client of Jack Ross for 30 years now and I came to them when I very first started at the bar, and they have literally picked me up and helped me along every single stage of the process."

Charles Eastwood - Barrister, St John's Buildings Chambers

"We regularly instruct Jack Ross on financial remedy cases where the financial picture is complex. Their forensic reports are thorough, clearly presented, and stand up under cross-examination. What sets them apart is their responsiveness - they understand that court deadlines don't wait."

Paul Mulderrig - Partner, Farleys Solicitors

Why Solicitors Choose Jack Ross

There are forensic accountants in every major city. Here is why solicitors across England and Wales instruct us.

The named expert does the work. Your report is prepared by the person who will attend court and face cross-examination. We don't hand cases to juniors and put a partner's name on the front page. The expert who signs the report is the expert who analysed the data.

We meet deadlines. Court timetables don't move. Draft reports are typically delivered within 4-6 weeks of receiving instructions and supporting documentation. For urgent matters, we can work to tighter timescales.

We are honest about scope. Before accepting any instruction, we provide a realistic fee estimate and timeline. If a case is outside our expertise, we say so at the scoping stage rather than halfway through the engagement. And if the numbers don't support your client's position, we tell you early.

75 years of practice. Jack Ross has been advising from Manchester since 1948. That heritage means deep relationships with the Northern Circuit bar, familiarity with local courts, and a reputation that precedes us. But we're not stuck in 1948 - our analysis uses modern forensic techniques including Benford's Law, digital transaction mapping, and structured data analysis.