Andersen merges in Reibman | Accounting Today

Andersen, the fast-growing international network formed by former partners from Arthur Andersen, has expanded in Southern California by adding Reibman, a tax compliance and planning firm in San Diego.

The new San Diego office will include managing director Allen Reibman, whose team of a half dozen professionals will join Andersen’s Private Client Services practice led by Andersen managing director Chad Thiel.

“Greater San Diego is home to the second largest population of Californians, with one of the highest concentrations of wealth in the country in areas like Del Mar, La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe,” Thiel said in a statement. “The decision to expand our presence in Southern California was an easy one — especially when we factored in the additional benefits our clients will receive from the experienced and highly-regarded Reibman team.”

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “The professionals from Reibman share our commitment to stewardship and client service, bringing to bear their own unique combination of skills and knowledge to serve the exciting San Diego market,” said Dan DePaoli, U.S. country managing director for Andersen, in a statement.

Andersen has been expanding rapidly around the world since a group of partners from WTAS revived the Andersen name a decade ago by creating Andersen Tax. Former Andersen partner Mark Vorsatz and a group of 22 other former Andersen partners founded WTAS (short for Wealth and Tax Advisory Services USA Inc.) in 2002. As CEO, Vorsatz later renamed the firm Andersen Tax in 2014 after acquiring the trademarks and copyrights from Arthur Andersen LLP and Andersen Worldwide. Many of the firm’s expansion deals have been in other countries as it built the Andersen Global network, but it has also been expanding in the U.S. under the shortened name Andersen. 

Last February, it added 45 professionals in Orange County, California, Des Moines, Iowa, and Pittsburgh. The firm added partners and professionals from Rickmeyer & Associates in Irvine, California; Vertical Advisors in Newport Beach, California; Hamilton Juffer & Associates and HJN Advisors in Des Moines; and Chemel Kornick & Mooney in Pittsburgh. Last September, Andersen launched a Global Valuation Practice.

“We are creating a unique global platform for businesses and private wealth clients around the globe who turn to us for independent tax assistance and a variety of multidisciplinary professional services, integrated seamlessly and with the high quality and service that our clients have come to expect from Andersen,” said Andersen global chairman and CEO Mark Vorsatz in a statement Tuesday. 

Andersen Global now has more than 15,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 425 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms. Andersen has over 2,000 people in 24 cities across the U.S.