Espen Robak, CFA, President of Pluris Valuation Advisors, is a nationally recognized expert on restricted securities, securities design, levels of value, and discounts for lack of liquidity. Over more than a decade, he has provided valuation services for stock-based compensation and other financial reporting purposes, transaction fairness, corporate and personal income tax, estate and gift tax, employee stock ownership plans, litigation and other purposes. Mr. Robak has particular expertise with venture capital, private equity fund structures and hedge fund structures. He is a prolific writer on business, valuation and taxation topics, and speaks frequently at seminars and professional conferences. Recent topics he has written about include M&A arbitrage data, restricted stock and marketability, and the valuation of trademarks.

Mr. Robak has a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor of science degree from the University of Oregon. He has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Prior to joining Pluris, Mr. Robak was Senior Vice President of FMV Opinions, Inc., a specialty valuation firm, and directed the firm's restricted stock and blockage discount practices. At FMV, Mr. Robak authored several publications on private placements, restricted stock, and marketability discounts, and oversaw the creation of "The FMV Restricted Stock Study." Mr. Robak's corporate valuation experience also includes allocation of value between common, preferred, and convertible securities, and the valuation of derivative and hybrid securities. Prior to joining FMV, Mr. Robak was an Account Manager for BankAmerica Corp. in Seattle, Washington.