Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg, LLP

What Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg, LLP does

Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg, LLP (LLME) is a privately-held, San Diego-based limited liability partnership providing professional accounting, tax, audit, and advisory services. Founded in 1985 and headquartered in La Jolla, the firm is positioned as San Diego's largest local CPA firm, with 101-250 employees organized around a partner-led service model. Its core practice areas are Accounting Services, Audit & Review, Business Tax, Individual/Trust/Estate Tax, and Transactional Consulting, supported by ten industry verticals including Real Estate, Construction, Technology & Life Sciences, Food/Beverage/Hospitality, Non-Profit, Athletes (300+ professional athletes across NFL, MLB, PGA, NHL, NBA, and MLS), Start-ups, Professional Services, Manufacturing & Distribution, and Retail.

The firm operates on a standard CPA technology stack — QuickBooks Online and Desktop, ProSystem Tax and ProSystem Engagement for tax preparation and audit, Microsoft Teams for collaboration, and QuickFee for client installment payments — with no proprietary platforms, public APIs, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed. Revenue is generated entirely through professional services fees (hourly/engagement-based) with three payment options: ACH (no fee), credit card (3% processing fee), and QuickFee installment plans (3-12 months, $5,000 minimum, interest-bearing).

Go-to-market is relationship-driven: client acquisition stems from referrals, partner networks, industry involvement, community engagement, and brand recognition (Forbes Best-In-State CPAs, San Diego Business Journal Best Places to Work). LLME extends geographic reach through its membership in BKR International, a network of 160+ independent accounting firms in 500+ offices across 80 countries, enabling cross-border engagements without organic international expansion. Leadership transitioned in 2024 when Brian Surratt was elected Managing Partner, accompanied by internal elevations to partner in audit and tax. Recent senior hiring (2026) brought a former PwC Tax Director into the firm, signaling capability investment in high-end tax and partnership solutions.

Name

Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg, LLP

Legal name

Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg, LLP

Website

https://llme.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LLME is a San Diego-based CPA firm founded in 1985 providing accounting, audit, tax, and transactional advisory services to closely-held businesses, nonprofits, high-net-worth individuals, and professional athletes across ten industry verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

La Jolla

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Accounting Services: Comprehensive accounting and bookkeeping services including financial statement preparation, controller services, month-end/year-end close support, financial reporting and analysis, software support for QuickBooks, and advisory services
2. Audit & Review Services: Audit, review, and compilation of financial statements; employee benefit plan audits; agreed-upon procedures; internal control evaluations; surprise exams for investment companies
3. Business Tax Services: Tax planning and preparation, international and multi-state strategies, quarterly estimated tax payment planning, year-end tax planning, IRS representation, entity selection, succession planning, transaction structuring
4. Individual, Trust & Estate Tax: Individual tax planning, estate planning and tax return preparation, trust tax return preparation, retirement options planning
5. Transactional Consulting: Transaction advisory services including due diligence on mergers and acquisitions, tax planning for acquisitions, divestitures, reorganizations, partnership allocation planning, tax and cash flow effect calculations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LLME is a full-service CPA firm delivering Accounting Services, Audit & Review, Business Tax, Individual/Trust & Estate Tax, and Transactional Consulting engagements. The firm serves closely-held businesses, high-net-worth individuals, professional athletes, and nonprofit organizations, with industry-specialized practices across ten verticals and international reach via BKR International membership.

Product overview

LLME is a full-service accounting firm offering a unified suite of professional services organized around core tax and accounting disciplines: Accounting Services, Audit & Review, Business Tax, Individual/Trust & Estate Tax, and Transactional Consulting. These core services are complemented by industry-specific verticals serving Real Estate, Construction, Technology & Life Sciences, Food/Beverage/Hospitality, Non-Profit, Athletes, Start-ups, Professional Services, Manufacturing & Distribution, and Retail sectors. The firm also provides access to international resources through its BKR International membership and publishes annual Tax Planning Guides. Services range from day-to-day bookkeeping and tax compliance to complex transaction advisory and estate planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accounting Services

Named customers6 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BKR InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLME is an independent member of BKR International, a leading global association of accounting and business advisors. Through BKR affiliation, LLME provides clients with localized knowledge and expertise in major markets throughout the United States and around the world. BKR International represents more than 160 independent accounting and business advisory firms in over 500 offices and 80 countries.
• AICPA (American Institute of CPAs)minorOthersFirm is a member of the AICPA Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center. Firm's peer review report and AICPA acceptance letter are publicly available.
• California Society of CPAs (CalCPA)minorOthersFirm maintains membership in California Society of CPAs for professional development and networking.
• IPA (Inside Public Accounting)minorOthersFirm maintains membership and recognition in the IPA (Inside Public Accounting) network for accounting firms.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Moss Adams LLP: West Coast-headquartered mid-tier CPA firm with comparable industry vertical model (real estate, construction, technology, manufacturing); larger scale but overlapping client profile.
• BDO USA: Global mid-tier accounting network serving closely-held businesses and high-net-worth individuals across verticals; broader scope than LLME but comparable client base and service offering.
• Plante Moran: Large U.S. mid-tier accounting and advisory firm with industry-vertical structure and closely-held business focus; comparable in service mix and client orientation at a larger scale.
• Aldrich Group: West Coast mid-tier accounting and advisory firm with comparable size, multi-vertical strategy, and wealth/audit/tax service breadth across the Pacific and Mountain regions.
• RSM US LLP: Global mid-tier accounting firm with strong middle-market and industry-vertical approach that overlaps with LLME's audit, tax, and transaction advisory practice.
• Eide Bailly LLP: Top-15 U.S. accounting firm with strong regional presence and similar industry specialization model; comparable to LLME in mid-market tax/audit positioning, though at larger scale.
• Withum: National mid-tier CPA and advisory firm known for industry-focused practices and sports/entertainment niche that overlaps with LLME's Athletes vertical.

Direct peers

• Windes LLP: Southern California-based full-service accounting and advisory firm with comparable mid-tier size, industry verticals, and partner-led delivery model.
• Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP: California-based mid-sized CPA and advisory firm serving closely-held businesses and high-net-worth individuals; comparable in scale, client profile, and full-service tax/audit/advisory mix.
• Haskell & White LLP: Southern California mid-sized CPA firm of comparable size and service mix (audit, tax, advisory) with industry specialization; directly comparable to LLME as a fellow large local/regional California firm.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/llme.llp/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg, LLP