The forensic : how the CIA, a brilliant attorney and a young CPA brought down Howard Hughes

"A great story and a primer on smart, creative lawyering and deep-dive forensic accounting. John Clark and Paul Regan school Howard Hughes on how to bring down even the wealthiest, most stubborn opponent." -Robert B. Thum, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Extreme wealth seems to always have a dark side, such as the victims of jaw-dropping inequality. There is much debate if billionaires should even exist because politicians and policies are up for sale at prices that only the 1 percent can actually afford to pay. Rarely do we hear stories of justice concerning the richest people of all time. In this unique memoir, American business tycoon, movie director and aviator Howard R. Hughes Jr. and his pugnacious attorney, Chester Davis, were taken down by a brilliant and passionate attorney, John Bales Clark, and a diligent and talented young CPA, Paul Regan. Clark and Regan were dedicated to restoring what was wrongfully taken from their clients by Hughes and Davis. This story evolves into a contest fought by Clark and Regan as they unraveled an injustice perpetrated by Hughes and Davis on the shareholders of Air West, Inc. Along this journey, there was a parallel track involving the CIA, the Department of Justice and a Soviet submarine carrying nuclear missiles. The connection between Clark and Regan's journey, the CIA, and the Soviet submarine was coincidental; however, without that connection, their careers may not have been as golden as they became. This secret connection, and Clark and Regan's efforts to use it to bring down Howard Hughes, have been told to only a very few, until The Forensic. Paul Regan worked as an expert in forensic accounting-related litigation with John Clark, until John's death, over a span of 40 years. Their work together took them to many states and federal jurisdictions throughout the United States. Paul has also worked with hundreds of other attorneys in the world's largest law firms, as well as the SEC, the US Department of Justice, and attorney generals for many states. His expert testimony in the largest corporate frauds in the past 40 years has not only been presented in the United States, but in England, the World Court in the Hague (against the Islamic Republic of Iran), Canada, Australia, and Guam. Paul is a certified public accountant and is certified in financial forensics. He holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting. As an accounting expert and forensic consultant, he has testified in more than 125 trials and arbitrations and in more than 225 depositions. These analyses have involved such companies as: Countrywide, Xerox, Parmalat, Sunbeam, Cisco, Enron, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, and Lehman Brothers. Paul has been a partner in Hemming Morse, LLC's forensic and financial consulting firm for more than 45 years and is one of its past presidents and chairman of its board. He remains active in forensic investigations and expert testimony. Paul and his wife of more than 50 years live in Hillsborough, California, where he served on its town council for 12 years, including as mayor. The Forensic is his debut as an author. "A great story and a primer on smart, creative lawyering and deep-dive forensic accounting. John Clark and Paul Regan school Howard Hughes on how to bring down even the wealthiest, most stubborn opponent." -Robert B. Thum, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Extreme wealth seems to always have a dark side, such as the victims of jaw-dropping inequality. There is much debate if billionaires should even exist because politicians and policies are up for sale at prices that only the 1 percent can actually afford to pay. Rarely do we hear stories of justice concerning the richest people of all time. In this unique memoir, American business tycoon, movie director and aviator Howard R. Hughes Jr. and his pugnacious attorney, Chester Davis, were taken down by a brilliant and passionate attorney, John Bales Clark, and a diligent and talented young CPA, Paul Regan. Clark and Regan were dedicated to restoring what was wrongfully taken from their clients by Hughes and Davis. This story evolves into a contest fought by Clark and Regan as they unraveled an injustice perpetrated by Hughes and Davis on the shareholders of Air West, Inc. Along this journey, there was a parallel track involving the CIA, the Department of Justice and a Soviet submarine carrying nuclear missiles. The connection between Clark and Regan's journey, the CIA, and the Soviet submarine was coincidental; however, without that connection, their careers may not have been as golden as they became. This secret connection, and Clark and Regan's efforts to use it to bring down Howard Hughes, have been told to only a very few, until The Forensic. "It's hard to believe that an accountant can write a book about accounting and have it be a page-turner, but that's exactly what Paul Regan's The Forensic is. It reads like a well-conceived mystery novel, but details a true story of intrigue, criminal activity and obfuscation of the law. When the facts of the fraudulent financial activity are augmented with the mystery of Howard Hughes' clandestine lifestyle, the story rises to the level of a thriller. Regan has taken what is usually a boring subject and turned it into a very exciting read." -Brian Peter Brinig, JD, CPA, Law Professor, Forensic Accountant, Author "A fascinating, real-life tale of old Hollywood glamor and CIA intrigue. This period of US history has always fascinated me and learning about the details of Howard Hughes and his very own spy games drives home how influential Hughes was. A flawed, but charismatic man, Hughes has captured many people's imaginations, and the author uses that fact to weave an engaging retelling of events. Most importantly, Paul Regan bravely pursued justice and made it so money couldn't buy a billionaire out of his problems. -Katherine Cooper, Engineer, Author, and Nuclear Industry Advocate "The Forensic reminds financial enthusiasts the vital role that scrutiny, the process of checks and balances, must play, in opposition to the myopic worship of wealth." -Marcia Elizabeth Christian Favale, Restructuring and Finance Expert "Every sentence has the reader asking herself 'what's next' as the details come to light of a virtuous CPA and his path that crossed Howard Hughes. Coupled with fascinating historical facts that paint a detailed picture for the reader, this story keeps you on the edge of your seat and constantly rooting for the success of Paul Regan, who knew little of what this mission would encompass when he first encountered the bombastic and greedy Hughes." -Kathryn Burmeister, ESQ, Author of...