LA MAP COMMITTEE EVENT: OCTOBER 27th 2021 “CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LEGAL AREAS WE NEED TO ADDRESS FOR OUR FIRMS’ FUTURE” (Now, More Than Ever)
Our Los Angeles MAP Committee’s October 27, 2021, event was an amazing success with quite lively discussions. As robust Accounting Firms today and in the future, we do need conversations with our legal advisers. Our 2 panelists, Peter Fontaine and Jonathan Karp, were there to help and help they did in a big way!! The format of having Jon and Peter dialogue with each other — while connecting with the audience — brought learning to a whole new level of success. We can’t wait to have them back. Topics we explored:
- Ownership Agreements
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Succession Planning—Different Forms
- Case for Practice Continuation Agreements
- Most Frequently Asked Questions & Challenges
- Questions & Answers
Let’s look at how powerful this was—here are 2 quotes from participants that say it all:
“You are doing great work organizing these MAP chapter meetings and bringing very relevant and diverse speakers to the CalCPA membership.CalCPA LA Chapter MAP group once again brings such value to the membership. The conversation between attorneys Peter and Jon was so relevant and insightful for firms today. With all the uncertainty we deal with in the profession, these discussions about succession, retirement, M&A and more are so valuable for firms, regardless of what stage a firm is currently in.”
Brad A. Welebir, CPA, CGMA, MBA
Rogers, Anderson, Malody & Scott, LLP
“This was a great program: Jon Karp and Peter Fontaine are real pros on the legal side of succession planning; they shared some valuable war stories and answered a lot of questions; plus, there was no unnecessary travel time – a great zoom meeting!”
Harris Kagin
Eagle Strategies, LLC
Our format for this event was a panel of 2 attorneys and our host.
Peter Fontaine is a nationally-known attorney working exclusively with the Public Accounting community. He is the Managing Partner of NewGate Law http://www.newgate.law/ in Chicago. Jonathan Karp, attorney and CPA (inactive), with Thompson Coburn LLP https://www.thompsoncoburn.com/ in Los Angeles, also focuses on the needs of Public Accounting firms. You may know Jon from his many years as the LA MAP Committee Chair. Mark H. Fowler, CPA (inactive), CMC, our current LA MAP Chair, is a specialist in working with CPAs in Succession Planning and M&A. Bios below:
Peter Fontaine, managing partner of NewGate Law, which provides legal and business advisory services exclusively to the accounting profession. Prior to launching NewGate, Peter was general counsel of RSM US and American Express Tax & Business Services and assistant general counsel of Arthur Andersen. Peter’s areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, partnership/shareholder agreements, employee and partner matters, risk management, regulatory compliance.
Jonathan Karp is a partner in the Los Angeles office of the national law firm of Thompson Coburn LLP. Jon is licensed as both an attorney and a CPA (inactive) by the State of California. Jon has been recognized by his peers as a Super Lawyer and one of the Best Lawyers in Southern California. Jon’s clients are mid-sized closely-held businesses and their owners, professionals, high net worth individuals. Jon assists those clients in their general legal matters and succession planning for businesses, including accounting, legal and medical practices. He has counselled accounting firms in connection with their Partnership/Shareholder/Buy Sell Agreements, drafting and negotiating those agreements, assisting firms on the admission of new partners and the separation of existing partners from firms for various reasons. He has represented multiple accounting firms in their acquisition of other accounting practices, as well as their sale to, or merger with, other accounting firms. Jon has given presentations to local chapters of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the California CPA Education Foundation, as well as at national conferences of the AICPA, on various topics of interest to accountants, including succession planning for CPA firms.
Mark H. Fowler is President of Stowe Management Corporation, a business re-engineering firm, and CEO of Revolutionary Conversations, LLC, a training & development company, both in Santa Monica. He specializes in corporate design and business enhancement for growing and challenged businesses. Working with CPAs and their clients for more than 30 years, he has been involved with more than 200 CPA firms to address needs from marketing and growth to succession planning and merger/acquisition. Mr. Fowler has taught for the Foundation, having created and delivered 17 courses with them, and is a former Foundation trustee. He has been on the steering committee, often being the chair, of more than 45 conferences for the California Society of CPAs. He is currently on the State MAP/MCS Committee and is the LA Chapter MAP Chair. Mr. Fowler has authored articles on topics including succession planning for CPA firms and other businesses; his recent articles for California CPA magazine include “Succession’s Speed”, “What are You Doing for Your Future?”, “Client Success.”
Next Event: Attention Attorney, Banker, and CPA’s Join CalCPA’s Networking Event
Join us November 17, 2021, for an evening of learning, great conversations and opportunities for quality business connections.
Remember: bring your business cards and come prepared for an enjoyable evening!
Please register with the link below:
LA Chapter ABC Networking Mixer: Attorneys-Bankers-CPAs- Featuring a Mergers & Acquisitions Panel