Cornerstone Research Announces Senior Staff Promotions to Vice President and Principal

The firm advanced nine senior staff to the roles of vice president and principal across multiple practices and industries.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cornerstone Research, a leading provider of economic and financial consulting and expert testimony, has promoted the following eight professionals to vice president: Laarni Bulan, Brian Fryd, Todd Kumler, Filipe Lacerda, Frank Mascari, Ellen Paulus, Rainer Schwabe, and Manuel Vasconcelos.

In addition, the firm advanced Igor Salitskiy to the role of principal.

"We are thrilled to celebrate the well-deserved promotions of these exceptional individuals," said Rahul Guha, CEO of Cornerstone Research. "Their achievements reflect their expertise, innovative approaches, and dedication to supporting our experts and delivering exceptional value for our clients. Just as important, they consistently demonstrate their commitment to their colleagues and to the core values that guide our firm."

More information on the firm's newly promoted senior staff is below.

Promotions to Vice President

• Laarni Bulan has over a decade of experience consulting on complex litigation involving economic and financial issues. She is an expert in corporate finance, specializing in securities, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and other corporate transactions, firm valuation, risk management, executive compensation, and corporate governance matters. Dr. Bulan coleads Cornerstone Research's securities settlements and derivative settlements initiatives. She also coheads the firm's corporate governance practice.
  
  
• Brian Fryd specializes in matters relating to securities, valuation, financial institutions, and statistical analysis. Mr. Fryd has experience in all phases of litigation, including the discovery, class certification, motion practice, and merits phases, as well as at trial. He also has extensive experience in regulatory investigations. Mr. Fryd has assisted clients in achieving successful resolutions in a variety of settings, including motions for class certification and summary judgment and at trials and arbitration hearings.
  
  
• Todd J. Kumler consults on economic and statistical matters related to antitrust and competition and claims of consumer fraud and product liability. Dr. Kumler applies econometric tools and other empirical analyses to assess class certification, liability, and damages issues. He leads teams to analyze large, complex datasets, and works with clients through all stages of litigation. Lexology Index has named Dr. Kumler a Future Leader among economists in the global competition field.
  
  
• Filipe Lacerda is an expert financial economist with over ten years of experience leading and conducting financial, economic, and statistical analysis in securities, valuation, and financial institutions matters. Dr. Lacerda has served as an expert witness, submitting expert reports and testifying in complex matters, including securities litigation matters such as Vignola v. Fat Brands Inc. et al. His experience covers all phases of litigation, including discovery, class certification, motion practice, merits, and trial.
  
  
• Frank T. Mascari has more than twenty-five years of experience consulting on forensic accounting and fraud-related matters, often in the context of alleged Ponzi schemes and asset misappropriation. Mr. Mascari's expertise includes investigating complex fraud and concealment schemes on behalf of financial institutions and other corporate clients. He also conducts financial analyses to address class certification, economic damages, and loss causation issues. Mr. Mascari is a certified fraud examiner.
  
  
• Ellen Paulus specializes in matters involving investments, financial markets, financial institutions, and valuation. Dr. Paulus consults to financial services firms, including asset managers and broker-dealers, with a focus on matters involving the performance, pricing, trading, portfolio allocation, and alleged manipulation of a wide range of investments and financial products. She also focuses on valuation, including matters before the Delaware Court of Chancery.
  
  
• Rainer Schwabe consults on antitrust and competition cases, including matters related to allegations of price fixing, exclusionary practices, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Dr. Schwabe has analyzed alleged anticompetitive conduct in a number of industries, including finance, food and agriculture, healthcare, telecommunications, and transportation. He supports experts and clients through all stages of litigation, including data production. Lexology Index has named Dr. Schwabe a Future Leader and consulting expert among economists in the global competition field.
  
  
• Manuel Vasconcelos specializes in complex commercial disputes and regulatory inquiries in the areas of market manipulation, valuation, damages, energy markets, and private equity (PE). His expertise encompasses diverse financial instruments in cash and derivative markets, including fixed-income, equities, natural gas, and credit; he serves as a cohead of Cornerstone Research's market manipulation and market microstructure practice. Dr. Vasconcelos also has extensive valuation and damages experience in the context of contractual disputes across a variety of industries.

Promotion to Principal

• Igor Salitskiy applies sophisticated financial modeling methodologies and statistical analyses to matters involving enterprise valuation, securities litigation, and alleged anticompetitive conduct. In matters involving mergers and acquisitions (M&A), Dr. Salitskiy has analyzed alleged breach of fiduciary duty issues and breach of contract disputes. He has substantial experience with matters in the Delaware Court of Chancery, other U.S. and international courts, and arbitration associations.

About Cornerstone Research
Cornerstone Research provides economic and financial consulting and expert testimony in all phases of complex disputes and regulatory investigations. The firm works with an extensive network of prominent academics and industry practitioners to identify the best-qualified expert for each assignment. With a reputation for high quality and effectiveness, Cornerstone Research has consistently delivered rigorous, state-of-the-art analysis since 1989. The firm has more than 1,000 professionals in nine offices across the United States, UK, and EU.

SOURCE Cornerstone Research