Harshman Phillips & Company, LLC., is a Firm of Certified Public Accountants that was formed in 1992 to serve the needs of entrepreneurial businesses in a wide range of industries. The Firm provides cost effective, value added services, such as business advisory services, tax planning and compliance services, and accounting and audit services to its clients. The Firm has ten employees, three of whom are engaged in its professional practice.
Since its founding, the Firm has provided services to companies in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, real estate & construction, wholesale & retail, technology, and professional services corporations.
Business advisory services provided by the Firm include business and financial planning, valuations of closely held businesses, merger and acquisition assistance, and evaluation and implementation of internal controls and accounting systems.
The Firm provides tax-related services. These services include comprehensive tax return preparation and tax planning. It also includes advising businesses on various tax strategies and the tax ramifications of business decisions.
The Firm offers a full range of accounting and assurance services including Audits, Reviews, and Compilations. It also provides monthly accounting services which give businesses the benefit of having an accounting department without incurring a significant investment.
By blending technical expertise with the skills of its experienced and diversified professional staff the Firm is able to guide companies through the various business cycles including assistance acquiring equity to finance future operations, monthly financial reporting, and annual preparation of tax returns.
The Firm’s members have a diversified background. Several members have been controllers or CFO’s in the private sector while others have been in public accounting for most of their professional careers including the two founding partners, who collectively have over twenty-five years of “Big Four” experience.
The Firm is a member of the Private Companies Practice Section of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and its Employee Benefit Plan Center for Audit Quality .
William C. Harshman, CPA
Mr. Harshman specializes in working with entrepreneurial and closely-held companies in the areas of business and tax planning, mergers and acquisitions, small business financing, and IRS representation. He has extensive experience assisting with complex merger and acquisition transactions.
During his tenure at Ernst & Young, LLP and its predecessor firm, Mr. Harshman did extensive work in the firm’s bankruptcy services practice, beginning in the mid 1970’s with an assignment for the financial advisor to the Trustee in the bankruptcy of the North American Acceptance Corporation.
Since founding Harshman Phillips & Company, LLC Mr. Harshman has expanded the scope of his bankruptcy and forensic accounting work. He has assisted with the analysis of debtors’ financial positions, their business viability and liquidation assessments. Among other assignments, Mr. Harshman has worked on bankruptcy and forensic accounting engagements involving businesses in the aircraft/flight services, manufacturing, software development, software consulting, distribution, and retail industries.
Mr. Harshman has a B.A. in History from The University of Texas at Austin where he also did graduate work in Accounting and Taxation. He is a CPA in Georgia and is an active member of the Tax Division of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors.
Mr. Harshman joined Arthur Young & Company in 1974. He became a Partner in 1984 and was Director of the Firm's Atlanta Office Tax Department from 1983 through 1989. During this period Mr. Harshman served two two-year terms on the Firm’s Tax Advisory Committee, which set overall business and policy goals for the Tax Practice of Arthur Young & Company. He joined Ernst & Young as a partner in 1989 with the merger of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Company. Mr. Harshman joined Harshman Phillips & Company, LLC as one of its founding principals in 1992.
Bruce A. Phillips, CPA
Mr. Phillips specializes in taxation and accounting for real estate and related businesses, construction contractors, and other businesses. His clients have included large real estate developers, various types of contractors, architects and engineers, technology companies, and attorneys and physicians. During his professional career, he has provided many different types of professional services to the businesses and their owners. His experience includes entity choice and structure, tax and family planning, due diligence, mergers and acquisitions, contract analysis, financial analysis, and general business consulting.
Mr. Phillips received his B.B.A. in Accounting from the College of William and Mary in 1984. He is a Certified Public Accountant in Georgia.
Mr. Phillips joined Arthur Young & Company in 1984, was promoted to audit manager in 1989, and resigned in 1990 to become self sufficient and well rounded in professional services and be able to serve clients with a complete suite of services "one stop shop". He left Ernst & Young and joined Halligan & Associates where he became a principal in 1991. In 1992, following the death of the principal shareholder, Mr. Phillips co-founded Harshman & Phillips, P.C. ("H&P"). H&P has morphed over the years to become Harshman Phillips & Company, LLC and he finally formed Phillips Baker and Company, LLC in 2007 to serve the specialized needs of certain clients.
For the past 17 years, Mr. Phillips has been focused on serving privately held small businesses and their principals and families. He has provided them a full suite of services including tax planning and compliance, accounting assistance, assurance services such as financial statement compilations, reviews, and audits, among other professional services. Since 2004, in addition to providing basic services, he has assisted clients with fund raising, both equity and debt, and has formed several funds to co-invest in real estate deals, and fund construction and real estate related companies.
What makes Mr. Phillips unique, is his 25 years of auditing experience along with his 17 years of providing tax advice and compliance services. Additionally, over the years he has accumulated and formed a wide network of specialized accounting and tax provider consultants that are called upon when necessary to assist with complicated and/or unique issues. He currently is an active investor, in conjunction with and separate from his clients, and is looking to expand the services he provides based on his wealth of specialized knowledge.
Mr. Phillips resides in Atlanta with his wife Maggie. They actively travel and enjoy seeing the world, wine, and family. Mr. Phillips in an avid tennis player and is attempting to improve his golf game.
David Jon Lerner, CPA, CVA
David received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Georgia, J.M. Tull School of Accounting in June 1990. David received his certificate from the Georgia State Board of Accountancy to practice as a Certified Public Accountant in December 1992. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), has served on the Board of Directors and Governance Task Force of the Georgia Society of CPAs (GSCPA) and its Business Valuation Committee. He is also a member of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) and its professional development and review committees. David received his CVA designation in March, 1999, having completed the 1998 NACVA training center and exam as well the CEA courses in Valuation of Businesses and Practices with the AICPA during 1996 and 1997.
As a business strategist and financial advisor with extensive experience in accounting, auditing, tax planning, and financial business matters, David consults regularly with the Firm’s established and emerging corporate Clients and services their shareholders’ dynamic CPA firm needs. His responsibilities include traditional business consulting to small and middle-market companies on: accounting and auditing matters; acquisition reviews; business plans; financial forecasts; negotiating bank debt; private offerings; SEC reporting issues, and strategic capitalization requirements. David also provides extensive tax planning, consulting with individuals, families, and companies engaged in wholesale distribution, retail, manufacturing, high technology, medical groups, professional and financial services, hedge funds, not-for-profit, publishing, restaurants, entertainment, international, construction contractors, and real estate.
Prior to joining Harshman Phillips as a Partner, David’s experience includes Senior Manager with Tarpley & Underwood, P.C. in Norcross; auditing, tax and financial consultant with the Atlanta firm of Rollins & Associates, P.C./Rollins Financial Counseling; and an auditor with the firm BKR Metcalf, CPAs with assignments in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.
Brett H. Baker, CPA
Mr. Baker specializes in taxation and accounting for real estate companies, construction contractors, and various other types of small businesses. During his professional career, he has served as controller and provided various professional services to small businesses and their owners. His experience includes accounting, tax preparation and planning, and general consulting.
Mr. Baker received his B.B.A. in Finance with minors in economics and management from the State University of New York at Fredonia.
After he began his employment with Harshman Phillips & Company, LLC, he took additional accounting classes at the State University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University to become eligible to sit for the Certified Public Accounting exam. Mr. Baker passed the exam on his first attempt and is a Certified Public Accountant in Georgia.
Mr. Baker joined X-Truder Security in 1993 as a staff accountant, was promoted to accounting manager in 1994, and again promoted to Controller in 1996. Looking to expand his horizons and for additional challenges, he resigned in 1998 to continue his professional growth in the field of public accounting . He joined Harshman Phillips & Company, LLC in 1998 as a accountant. He was promoted to tax manager in 2002 and became a Partner with the formation of Phillips Baker and Company, LLC in 2007.
For the past 11 years, Mr. Baker has been focused on serving privately held small businesses and their principals and families. He has provided them a full suite of services including tax planning compliance, accounting assistance, and outsourcing services, and consulting.
Mr. Baker’s experience includes his 5 years in the private sector along with 11 years of experience in public accounting. This makes him highly qualified to assist small businesses with virtually all of their accounting and taxation needs.
Mr. Baker resides in Kennesaw with his wife Kristen and two children, Regan and Peyton, ages 5 and 3. His interests include Gator football and playing golf.