Company Overview

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 5” experience.
The Firm is a member of the Private Companies Practice Section of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts.

Partner Profiles

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 accounting, auditing, and taxation for various sizes of construction contractors, real estate entities, and related businesses. His clients include large general contractors, mechanical contractors, and various kinds of subcontractors such as painting, drywall, fire protection, and plumbing. During his professional career, he has provided many different types of professional services to contractors and developers. His experience includes due diligence, mergers and acquisitions, contract analysis, financial analysis, and general business consulting. In addition, he provides accounting and financial reporting systems consulting and implementation to these businesses.

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 and was promoted to audit manager in 1989. In 1990, following the merger of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Company, he left Ernst & Young to join Halligan & Associates where he became a principal in 1991. In 1992, following the death of the principal shareholder of Halligan & Associates, Mr. Phillips co-founded Harshman & Phillips, P.C.

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 thirteen years of 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 and physician practice groups, professional and financial services, 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.