Ronald A. Kaplan, CPA, Named Partner and Real Estate Industry Practice Director at J.H. Cohn LLP
12/09/2009
Ronald A. Kaplan, CPA, has joined J.H. Cohn LLP, one of the 15 largest accounting and consulting firms in the United States, as a partner and director of the Firm’s Real Estate Industry Practice. In this role, Kaplan succeeds partner Robert DeMeola, CPA, who has assumed the role of co-chief operating officer.
Kaplan, 47, joins J.H. Cohn from a national audit and accounting firm, where he led their New York real estate group. With more than 20 years of experience in public accounting and the real estate industry, he provides assurance, due diligence, business advisory, and tax services to owners of commercial, residential, retail, and hospitality real estate properties throughout the United States, with a particular focus on private clients with multistate operations, real estate opportunity funds, property management firms, partnerships, contractors, institutional lenders, REITs, and joint ventures.
“Ron is recognized nationally for his keen insight and expertise into the ever-evolving residential and commercial real estate industries,” said Thomas J. Marino, CPA, J.H. Cohn’s chief executive officer. “We are thrilled that he joined our firm, and look forward to watching the Real Estate Industry Practice grow and our clients thrive under his leadership.”
J.H. Cohn’s Real Estate Industry Practice, with more than 60 professionals, provides audit, tax, and advisory services to individual owners, developers, managers, brokers, investors, and hotel operators. Specifically, the practice works with its clients to:
- Minimize risk when strategically acquiring and divesting assets;
- Improve accounting and internal controls and streamlining financial operations;
- Implement systems and controls to contain costs and correct fraudulent practices;
- Resolve complicated tax issues and capitalizing on tax benefits;
- Structure deals and transactions to mitigate tax liabilities; and
- Restructure debt to reduce capital costs and improve cash flow.
“The real estate market, both in New York and across the country, has rapidly evolved in synch with the economic climate,” said DeMeola, who in addition to his senior advisory role at J.H. Cohn also serves as office managing partner of the Firm’s New York office. “The areas in which Ron has been particularly successful – contract negotiations, fair value reporting, and compliance monitoring, to name a few—are those that our clients are continually challenged with. His arrival is a boon to the Firm as we bring our real estate group into the next economical generation.”
Kaplan, who received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from James Madison University, is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is a licensed CPA in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.