News: Brokerage

Prager Metis CPAs welcomes Stark and Lopez

Lewis Stark,
Prager Metis CPAs, LLC

 

Fernando Lopez,
Prager Metis CPAs, LLC

 

New York, NY According to Prager Metis CPAs, LLC, the firm has welcomed Lewis Stark, CPA, CFE as a partner and Fernando Lopez, JD, MBA as a director, international tax. 

Stark joins Prager Metis as a partner in the Royalty Audit and Contract Compliance Services Group. He specializes in conducting royalty, distribution, and profit participation audits; contract compliance investigations; and vendor, landlord and tenant examinations. He has recovered substantial funds for his clients over his 27 years of service. Additionally, the compliance services that Stark provides protect the integrity and value of intellectual properties including copyrights, trademarks, brands and patents. Other services Stark provides include financial due diligence, litigation consulting, expert witness testimony, forensic investigations, and film and television production tax incentive audits.

Lopez joins Prager Metis with almost twenty years of experience. Lopez advises his clients on a full range of cross-border tax planning and compliance matters aimed at efficient cross-border structures and operations. He counsels businesses in various industries regarding U.S. and foreign tax considerations related to overseas activities and expansion. 

“We’re very excited to have Lewis and his team join the firm,” said Glenn Friedman, co-managing partner of Prager Metis. “As a CPA and a certified fraud examiner with an extensive background in royalty audits and contract compliance services, litigation consulting and as a testifying expert, Lewis has a unique expertise that few possess. Moving his entire team and diversified base of clients to Prager Metis will bolster our global royalty audit and contract compliance practice and his knowledge and skills will expand and enhance our existing services.”

“Bringing Lewis on board is essential for our plans to expand our resources and further strengthen our reputation as the “go-to” expert in Royalty Audit and Contract Compliance Services,” said Chris Hull, CPA, partner-in-charge of Royalty Audit and Contract Compliance Group. 

“Prager Metis has a level of expertise, long-standing reputation, and a global presence that is unique for an accounting firm of its size,” said Stark. “Their strategy to expand the Royalty Audit and Contract Compliance Services Group aligns with my vision of building a global practice of compliance experts that provides a suite of diversified compliance services.   I have competed against Prager Metis for over 25 years and am very excited to join their royalty compliance team.”

“Bringing  Fernando on board is essential for our plans to expand our resources and further strengthen our reputation as the “go to” expert in international taxation,” said David Neste, co-managing partner. “With his extensive background in international private client wealth tax  matters and corporate tax strategy, Fernando has a unique expertise that few possess.”

Lopez is also knowledgeable on tax-efficient restructuring; M&A, dispositions; joint ventures; global trading structures; tax deferral; foreign currency transactions; repatriation; foreign tax credits, IP migration; transfer pricing; tax accounting, FIN 48 reporting; and international compliance.

“I’m very excited to join Prager Metis,” said Lopez, “as we share a commitment to provide every client with both sound advice and outstanding personal service.”

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