Fresh off the big reveal of the 2024 Top 500 list, INSIDE Public Accounting has released another one of their yearly lists that tends to get less play than the big T100: Best of the Best. Of these “best” firms they say:
What all the Best of the Best have in common is a focus on operational and financial excellence. Leaders don’t get so caught up in the day-to-day routine that they overlook the basics of running a business and running it well. They watch their numbers and keep a steady eye on their growth goals, all while maintaining a positive work environment. Our list is designed to provide an even playing field to recognize the valuable work that drives our industry forward.
To determine which firms belong in the Best category, IPA scores firms based on their responses to the IPA Practice Management Survey using some of the following metrics: net revenue growth and leverage, along with governance policies, long-range planning efforts, professional development, outsourcing, compensation and process improvement.
There are 60 firms on the list with more than $10 million in revenue and 15 more that bring in less than that for a total of 75 firms that exemplify IPA’s definition of “Best.” Because we here at Going Concern concern ourselves most with dick-measuring contests and revenue battles, we’re only including the 20 firms on the list with more than $100 million in revenue. Trust us, most of this list is not a who’s who but rather a WHO? of firms.
Sorted by revenue, Forvis Mazars and CLA are the only two firms on the list bringing in 10 digits. The smallest firm on the list is Pittsburg’s Louis Plung & Company with $11,791,406. But remember, size doesn’t matter here. Not completely, anyway.
| FIRM / HQ | CEO or MP | REVENUE |
|---|---|---|
| Forvis Mazars LLP | Tom Watson | $2,152,395,000 |
| CLA | Jennifer Leary | $2,000,000,000 |
| Eide Bailly LLP | Jeremy Hauk | $704,979,000 |
| WithumSmith+Brown PC / Princeton, N.J. | Patrick Walsh | $584,154,000 |
| Aprio LLP / Atlanta | Richard Kopelman | $420,790,000 |
| Sikich / Chicago | Christopher Geier | $363,765,824 |
| Weaver / Houston | John J. Mackel | $328,276,610 |
| Whitley Penn / Fort Worth, Texas | Larry G. Autrey | $217,662,843 |
| Rehmann LLC / Troy, Mich. | Stacie Kwaiser | $203,783,464 |
| Elliott Davis LLC / Greenville, S.C. | Rick Davis | $189,222,035 |
| Frazier & Deeter LLC / Atlanta | Seth McDaniel | $163,099,000 |
| Cohen & Company Ltd / Cleveland | Chris Bellamy | $153,896,588 |
| Kaufman Rossin / Miami | Blain L. Heckaman | $151,500,000 |
| Katz Sapper & Miller / Indianapolis | Tim Cook | $144,874,633 |
| Doeren Mayhew & Co. PC / Troy, Mich. | Chad M. Anschuetz | $137,400,000 |
| Miller Cooper & Co. Ltd. / Chicago | Kristen Fitzpatrick | $135,375,540 |
| Grassi Advisory Group Inc. / New York | Louis C. Grassi | $132,569,402 |
| Schneider Downs & Co. Inc. / Pittsburgh | Christopher McElroy / Steven Thompson | $124,033,517 |
| Berkowitz Pollack Brant / Miami | Joseph Saka | $118,795,963 |
| Bennett Thrasher LLP / Atlanta | Jeff Call | $102,790,108 |
Yeah, we probably could have cut this list down to 10.
See the full list from INSIDE Public Accounting here.
Earlier:
Wonder how CLA got on the list given that they are notorious for paying below market wages
How the F did Forvis Mazars, the total dumpster fire that it is, make this list? IPA is trolling us with that one.
It could be a pay to play type ranking. Just about all the top CPA firms label themselves as “top employer” award winner.
~ tHP