Firm News: Aug. 9, 2013

HONG KONG

LCCPA, Hong Kong, has joined the worldwide alliance of independent association for accounting, law and consulting firms, Alliott Group.

 

CALIFORNIA

CohnReznick LLP, Los Angeles, moved its West Los Angeles and Century City offices to one shared office at 1900 Avenue of the Stars. CohnReznick now occupies a nearly 23,000-square-foot space on the 28th penthouse floor in the office tower—located in the heart of Century City close to shopping, dining, and many of CohnReznick’s valued Los Angeles-based clients.

FLORIDA

Berdon LLP, St. Petersburg, has joined The International Accounting Group –an international alliance of accounting firms.

ILLINOIS

McGladrey LLP, Chicago, has launched a strategy to serve emerging middle market companies. Former managing partner Dave Scudder will lead the initiative, which will use technology, tools and processes specifically designed to help companies in this unique market succeed. … Baker Tilly, Chicago, releases “Why SOC 1 reports are important to employee benefit plans.” Employee benefit plans rely on external providers for services including recordkeeping, information systems, and claims processing; but how do you know the service provider has proper controls in place when handling your information? Baker Tilly Virchow Krause has published an educational article, Why SOC 1 reports are important to employee benefit plans, to help executives understand the benefits of service organization controls reports. Why SOC 1 reports are important to employee benefit plans is available on the Baker Tilly website and includes information on the following:

*What a SOC 1 report is, including SSAE 16 and SAS 70 clarification

*The two types of SOC 1 reports and what the differences are

*Why and when your employee benefit plans need to review SOC 1 report 

IOWA

Honkamp Krueger & Co., P.C. is opening branch offices in Davenport, Iowa. The firm opened a Madison, Wis., office on Aug. 1, 2013. The Davenport branch is slated to open September 2013.

MAINE

Baker Newman Noyes, Portland, earned recognition from Horizon Interactive Awards, an international competition, for their new website, www.bnncpa.com, which launched last year.

MASSACHUESETTS

PwC US, Boston, has signed a 15-year lease with Skanska Commercial Development for 333,000 square feet in a building to be constructed at Seaport Square in the Innovation District.  The firm will occupy 75% of the office space in the 17 floor building that will prominently display the PwC brand.

MINNESOTA

Abdo, Eick & Meyers LLP, Edina, celebrated its 50th Anniversary in July with a party for clients, employees and friends of the firm at the Centennial Student Union ballroom on the campus at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

NEW JERSEY

CohnReznick LLP, Roseland, raised more than $105,000 at its 12th annual employee Bowl-A-Thon benefiting Make-A-Wish New Jersey. This brings the total raised for Make-A-Wish by the Firm over the last 12 years through employee fundraising, donations, and raffles to more than $1.35 million.

NEW YORK

PwC has been recognized as a Vanguard firm in Kennedy Consulting Research & Advisory's "Forensics & Dispute Advisory" report. The report assesses and evaluates service providers in the Forensics & Dispute market in two areas: forensic investigations and dispute advisory & analysis. … The INSIDE Public Accounting newsletter has placed The Bonadio Group, Rochester, as the nation’s 56th fastest growing CPA firm. … Marcum LLP and Marcum Financial Services LLC, New York, have formed a joint Healthcare Reform Task Force to assist clients in understanding and complying with the provisions of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act. … According to the new Business Continuity Insights Survey by PwC US, companies are re-thinking their approach to crisis management, but are still behind in leveraging social media as a crucial resource. The survey, which had approximately 300 respondents, was designed to help gain a better understanding of how business continuity practitioners and stakeholders believe their programs have adapted to a changing environment, and how the practice of business continuity management continues to evolve.

According to the survey, more than half of the respondents – 57 percent – do not officially use social media as a crisis management resource.  For companies that have begun integrating social media into their crisis management efforts – Facebook and Twitter cited the most often – not all are seeing improvement in their capabilities. Thirty-eight percent of survey respondents are modestly leveraging it as a tool, but not necessarily seeing improvements in their capabilities, whereas eight percent of respondents believe that social media has become an enabler for their organization to proactively identify and respond to crisis events. Click here for a replay of the BCM webcast on the survey findings.

NORTH CAROLINA

Drake Software, a Franklin, N.C.-based supplier of tax preparation software to over 37,000 tax professionals throughout the United States, will be expanding their call center in Hayesville, N.C.  A new 10,000 square feet facility will be constructed in the Clay County Industrial/Technology Park and is expected to open in January 2014.

OHIO

The Cincinnati office of Decosimo is moving to a new downtown location on September 1.  The firm is relocating just next door from its First Financial Center location to Suite 2100 of the PNC Center at 201 East Fifth Street. The main office phone number (513) 579-1717 and all other contact information for the firm and its personnel will remain the same. … SS&G is slated to open a new office in downtown Cleveland on Nov. 1. The firm will occupy more than 5,600 square feet on the 15th floor of the Hanna Building on Euclid Avenue.

VIRGINIA

Brittenford Systems a Reston Va.-based technology services firm, has partnered with Stop Hunger Now for a September 28 event to help combat world hunger. Stop Hunger Now is an international meal packaging program that supports school feeding programs and crisis relief to millions around the globe.

E-mail your firm announcements to Tamika.Cody@sourcemedia.com with ‘Firm News’ in the subject line.

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Audit Financial reporting
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