After Graduation

Shortly after graduating from law school, my wife, Susan, and I moved to Long Island. I had offers from a Big Eight firm and from Kohleriter & Spandorf, a 50-person CPA firm with offices in Melville, Long Island, and New York City. I took the K&S offer and my career began to flourish. There I met my tax mentor, Leo Spandorf, and worked with Bill Holtz and Paul Rubenstein. All three helped make my career what it is.

K&S merged with Touche Ross (now Deloitte) in April 1970, and I spent the next five years there working with unique tax concepts and transactions. In April 1975, I became regional tax director for a small national firm. In June 1975, Holtz and Rubenstein opened Holtz Rubenstein & Co. and, shortly thereafter, I became the founding tax partner.

Rapid Developments

Holtz Rubenstein grew quickly, from four partners and a staff of two, to 20, then 50, and finally 85 people. Ultimately, in 2004, we merged with a 65-person firm with a New York City office.

Along the way, we and nine other CPA firms across the country formed an accounting group, and in 1982 our group became the American representative of DFK International. I began spreading my international wings by attending my first DFK International meeting in 1984 in Amsterdam. In 1990, I became chairman of its international tax committee, and between 1990 and 1992, I developed and wrote the DFK International Worldwide Tax Overview for all of the member firms (it has been updated annually ever since). I served two terms as DFK's vice president for the Americas, was awarded its lifetime achievement award, was made an honorary lifetime member of DFK Canada, and hold the record for most consecutive DFK International annual conferences attended (26).

NYSSCPA Connection

My NYSSCPA activities began in the Nassau Chapter. During the 1980s, I became active in statewide committees, chairing the Partnership Tax Committee and a number of task forces. I have written 37 feature articles and 12 columns for The Trusted Professional. I was awarded the Society's Distinguished Service Award in 2011. In the meantime, my tax practice thrived.

I held a number of statewide leadership positions in the NYSSCPA, including president (1999/2000). During my term, I implemented a number of big ideas: the Society acquired (800) NYSSCPA and nysscpa.org; New York State issued an official CPA license plate; and the NYSSCPA Hall of Fame was launched. (You can read more about my term in my last Trusted Professional column of May 2000.)

Lessons from My Own Experience

• ▪ Professional life is like a chess game in which some moves are planned and some moves are lucky. It was smart to work for K&S; its merging into Touche Ross was lucky (for me). Deciding to become active in DFK International was lucky—I travelled around the world and made lifelong friends from Europe, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

• ▪ In 1982, I hired a part-time female CPA who had come back to work after her young children had grown up a bit. I allowed her and all of my part-timers to have flexible work schedules. This is especially relevant today, because of the innovations that allow part-timers to work from anywhere.

• ▪ Pay as much attention to family as work.

• ▪ Never discuss client matters with significant others, friends, or coworkers.

• ▪ You don't always need to know the answer: you only need to know where to find the answer—or whom to ask.

• ▪ Be responsive to everyone, from clients and employees to peers. Always return calls, or respond to e-mails, or texts within 24 hours.

• ▪ Never tell a client you're busy. If you accept a client, that client must feel like he is your most important client.

• ▪ Keep clients informed about their work and its status.

• ▪ Don't delude yourself: recognize a conflict of interest.

• ▪ Get into public speaking. Start at your firm, then move locally and regionally.

• ▪ Build trustworthy relationships with journalists. Be forthright, but don't always expect to be quoted. If you don't have an answer, be honest. It builds credibility.

• ▪ Call me by my first name. It's particularly tough for recent college graduates. Treat all of the people with whom you work with respect and dignity.

• ▪ Enjoy what you do. I love what I do. I still look forward to coming to the office, just as I have every day of my career. I wish everyone the same good fortune.