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At Comyns, Smith, McCleary & Deaver, LLP we believe that strong personal relationships are at the heart of great service. We strive to build long-term, trusting relationships with the owners and management of the clients we serve. Although our client relationships are often centered on the personal relationship with the client service partner, all of our professionals work as a team to provide the best possible service and to develop the kinds of client relationships that we seek. As needed, each partner brings to bear his own special expertise on client issues, so when you hire one of us, you hire all of us.
Our service philosophy places our partners foremost in the client relationship and in the delivery of services. We each remain deeply involved in the day-to-day work we do for our clients. Our high level of partner involvement, coupled with our decades-long experience in public accounting, enables us to deliver our services efficiently, identify tax saving opportunities, and make valuable business-related observations to help guide your financial decisions.
We are members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and are licensed by the California State Board of Accountancy and we participate in an ongoing peer review process as part of our commitment to quality services. In addition, we are members of the AICPA’s Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) and Employee Benefit Plans Audit Quality Center (EBPAQC). Membership in each of these organizations requires us to meet additional continuing education and other requirements in order to maintain our membership in good standing.
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Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do today.
—Thomas Jefferson
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John R. Comyns, PARTNER
John started his career with Touche Ross and Company in 1976. In 1992, he left Deloitte & Touche as a tax partner to start a new firm with Steve Smith. Together they focused the new business on tax services, later adding new partners and staff to expand the tax practice and to establish an audit practice.
CLIENT BASE |
Hospitality, manufacturing, and winery industries |
SPECIALTIES |
High net worth individual tax practice and inventory methods of accounting |
BACKGROUND |
Tax Partner, Deloitte & Touche |
EDUCATION |
San Jose State University, BS in Accounting, 1976 |
MEMBERSHIPS |
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants |
ACCREDITATIONS |
Certified Public Accountant |
PERSONAL |
San Francisco Bay Area native, currently living in the East Bay. Hobbies include bike riding, fishing and wood working. |
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Steven P. Smith, PARTNER
Steve has over 33 years of tax experience, involving a wide range of planning and compliance for federal, state and local property and tax filings on behalf of corporations, partnerships/LLCs, individuals, fiduciaries, franchises, and estates. He also has international income tax experience, both inbound and outbound. Steve’s corporate experience includes consolidated returns, combined reports...
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…the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in arranging to keep taxes as low as possible … for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.
—Justice Learned Hand, US Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
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Steven P. Smith, PARTNER
Steve has over 33 years of tax experience, involving a wide range of planning and compliance for federal, state and local property and tax filings on behalf of corporations, partnerships/LLCs, individuals, fiduciaries, franchises, and estates. He also has international income tax experience, both inbound and outbound. Steve’s corporate experience includes consolidated returns, combined reports, and multi-state returns. He is qualified as an expert witness, and has testified and been deposed on a variety of issues, including accounting malpractice, wrongful termination, lost profits, and fiduciary responsibility.
CLIENT BASE |
Real estate (including investment and development), software development, manufacturing, hotel and hospitality, wineries, insurance, legal, publishing, various professional services, wholesale, and retail trades |
SPECIALTIES |
Litigation support, real estate, and earnings and profits |
BACKGROUND |
Tax Partner, Deloitte & Touche |
EDUCATION |
San Francisco State University, BS Accounting, Summa Cum Laude, 1977, Phi Beta Kappa |
MEMBERSHIPS |
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants |
ACCREDITATIONS |
Qualified as an expert witness and testified in Federal and Superior courts |
PERSONAL |
Three grown children of whom he's very proud. Hopes to improve his golf game to the point where he can one day shoot his age. |
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Taxation without representation is tyranny.
—James Otis, Jr.
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Dan K. Deaver, PARTNER
Dan has over 27 years of experience providing accounting and tax services to a variety of industries. His experience includes assisting clients with mergers and acquisitions, tax due diligence, tax planning and structuring and representation before federal and state taxing authorities.
CLIENT BASE |
Real estate, wineries, technology, venture capital, manufacturing, retail, transportation, tax-exempt organizations, hospitality, and high net worth individuals |
SPECIALTIES |
Multi-state tax compliance, §501(c)(25), FIN 48, partnership allocations, corporate alternative minimum tax, accounting and tax due diligence |
BACKGROUND |
Senior Tax Manager, Deloitte & Touche |
EDUCATION |
University of California, Berkeley, BS Finance and Accounting, 1984
Golden Gate University, MS Taxation, 1988 |
MEMBERSHIPS |
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants |
ACCREDITATIONS |
Certified Public Accountant |
PERSONAL |
Avid snow skier and scuba diver |
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Gerard S. Clancy, PARTNER
Gerry has over 25 years of experience providing audit, tax, and business advisory services to clients in a wide variety of industries. He also serves high net worth clients with estate and income tax preparation and planning. He performs due diligence on mergers and acquisitions and assists clients with business restructuring and expansion.
CLIENT BASE |
Manufacturing, technology, distribution, retail, service, and construction, among others |
SPECIALTIES |
Business advisory |
BACKGROUND |
Price Waterhouse, Deloitte and Touche |
EDUCATION |
California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, Business Administration, 1985 |
MEMBERSHIPS |
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants |
ACCREDITATIONS |
Certified Public Accountant |
PERSONAL |
Father of five, golf, mountain biking and reading |
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A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.
—Jackie Robinson
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Mark E. Eitelgeorge, PARTNER
Mark leads the firm’s audit practice and has worked in public accounting since 1984. He has significant professional experience servicing a variety of closely-held clients, taught national accounting courses related to a variety of subjects, represented clients before the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor, and served as a guest speaker for various professional organizations. Prior to joining the firm in 1996, Mark was a senior audit manager with an international accounting firm and a senior benefits consultant with a local retirement plan consulting firm.
CLIENT BASE |
ERISA, manufacturing, wineries, retail, financial institutions, leasing, and non-for-profit organizations |
SPECIALTIES |
ERISA and qualified retirement plans, wineries, international reporting |
BACKGROUND |
Senior Audit Manager, KPMG |
EDUCATION |
St. Mary’s College of California, BS Business Administration, Accounting concentration, 1986 |
MEMBERSHIPS |
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans |
ACCREDITATIONS |
Certified Public Accountant |
PERSONAL |
Soccer, baseball, music. Head Coach of the Varsity Boys Soccer Team, Alhambra High School, Martinez. Fluent in German. Plays guitar. KC Royals and SF Giants fan. |
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The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised.
—George Will
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James B. Wolf, PARTNER
Jim has over 28 years of professional tax and accounting experience, including the private practice of law. His experience includes representing clients before taxing authorities, multi-state tax compliance, structuring business formations, acquisitions and dispositions.
CLIENT BASE |
Hospitality, real estate, tax-exempt organizations, automotive services, and individual tax planning |
SPECIALTIES |
Partnership and fiduciary taxation |
BACKGROUND |
Senior Tax Manager, Deloitte & Touche |
EDUCATION |
San Jose State University, BS in Business Administration, Accounting Emphasis, 1979
Santa Clara University, JD, MBA, 1983 |
MEMBERSHIPS |
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
State Bar of California |
ACCREDITATIONS |
Certified Public Accountant
Attorney, State Bar of California |
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People who complain about taxes can be divided into two classes: men and women.
—Unknown
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Brent Baxter, PARTNER
Brent has over 18 years of tax accounting experience in public accounting firms. His experience includes multi-state tax compliance for businesses and individuals, representing clients before taxing authorities and tax planning for high net worth individuals and their families.
CLIENT BASE |
Real estate investment and development, software development, manufacturing, hotel and hospitality, wineries, wholesale and retail trades and various professional services |
SPECIALTIES |
Individual, corporate, and partnership taxation |
BACKGROUND |
Tax Manager, Deloitte & Touche |
EDUCATION |
University of California, Berkeley, BA Political Economy of Industrial Societies, 1992
Golden Gate University, Master of Science in Taxation, 1998 |
MEMBERSHIPS |
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants |
ACCREDITATIONS |
Certified Public Accountant |
PERSONAL |
Enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. Also enjoys time away from the office, riding his mountain bike in the California hills. |
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We live in the greatest country on Earth. Even with all of its problems, life here is still pretty good, so we should consider ourselves lucky that we can worry about taxes.
—Drew Porter
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Andrew M. Porter, PARTNER
Drew has over 20 years of experience in tax accounting. Prior to joining CSMD in 2005, Andrew was a senior tax manager with Deloitte & Touche, where he served a wide variety of corporate clients, including many Fortune 500 companies.
CLIENT BASE |
Real estate, healthcare, high technology, manufacturing, and retail |
SPECIALTIES |
Consolidated corporate tax returns regulations, inbound and outbound international taxation |
BACKGROUND |
Senior Tax Manager, Deloitte & Touche |
EDUCATION |
University of California, Davis, BA Political Science, 1983
UC Davis Graduate School of Management, MBA, Accounting & Management Information Systems, 1991 |
MEMBERSHIPS |
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants |
ACCREDITATIONS |
Certified Public Accountant |
PERSONAL |
In addition to the ever-fascinating Internal Revenue Code, Drew enjoys reading history, especially political and military history, and mysteries. Favorites include P.D. James, Arthur Conan Doyle, Dashiell Hammet, and Dorothy L. Sayers. Retired National Guard officer, having served 23 years in the Military Police Corps, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. |
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He taught me to run high on my toes. I will always remember his words: run proud & remember you are alive.
—B. Andreas
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Erin Howard, SENIOR MANAGER
Erin has over 14 years of professional experience serving a variety of closely-held and publicly-traded clients. She has experience in managing both large and small projects, and has served clients that range from development stage enterprises to multinational corporations. Erin knows the ins and outs of financial reporting, including internal control attestation reporting, and a thorough understanding of GAAP.
CLIENT BASE |
Manufacturing, distributing, construction, franchising, private equity, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, retail, not-for-profit, and ERISA |
BACKGROUND |
Audit Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
Assistant Controller at bebe stores, Inc. |
EDUCATION |
California Polytechnic State University, BS Business Administration, Accounting concentration, 1997 |
ACCREDITATIONS |
Certified Public Accountant |
PERSONAL |
Erin loves to read and cook for relaxation. She and her husband enjoy time with their two children and extended family. They also love getting away for vacations that involve hiking, skiing, or snorkeling. |
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Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
—Mahatma Gandhi
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David Christy, SENIOR MANAGER
David has over 13 years of public accounting experience, serving both publicly-traded companies and private closely-held clients. He has extensive experience in managing both large and small projects, and has served clients that range from development stage enterprises to multinational corporations. He has significant experience in all aspects of financial reporting and internal control attestation reporting.
CLIENT BASE |
Retail, manufacturing, distribution, technology, bio-technology, and professional services |
SPECIALTIES |
Complex accounting issues |
BACKGROUND |
Senior Audit Manager , Deloitte & Touche |
EDUCATION |
California State University Long Beach, BS Business Administration, Accounting emphasis, 1998 |
MEMBERSHIPS |
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Association for Corporate Growth |
ACCREDITATIONS |
Certified Public Accountant |
PERSONAL |
Father of two, avid cyclist, and fun-loving outdoorsman |
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