Anthony “Skip” Smith

He thrives on stress and cites high-pressure, high-volume mergers and acquisitions as his favorite assignment. Skip’s clients return again and again for the value he provides—in terms of both the money he saves them and the confidence they gain from his skills and advice. He is a principal in the firm’s tax practice and helps clients with a wide variety of tax compliance and general business issues. According to Skip, his highly motivated and intelligent colleagues make his work fun, even when it isn’t easy. When the day is done, he unwinds at the gym, on his bike, golfing, enjoys a glass of red wine—or even a bit of fly fishing from time to time.

Practice Emphasis

• Strategic planning concerning mergers, acquisitions, and transition planning, including working extensively with business owners and attorneys helping deals come together with due diligence, negotiations, and structuring the deal
• Tax planning for commercial businesses and their owners; heavy emphasis with S corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, and C corporations

Proven Results

• Helped close multiple M&A transactions, ranging in value from $2 million to $160 million.
• Helped negotiate and implement strategies for structuring business combinations, resulting in an after-tax savings of over a million dollars.
• Implemented specific strategies for S Corporation owners, saving over $180,000 in built-in gains taxes.
• Negotiated successful private letter rulings with the IRS for business combinations, resulting in significant tax savings.
• Represented clients in various IRS audits with no change results.

Education

• University of Washington, B.A., Business Administration, Finance

Activities

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants