CS&L

What CS&L does

CS&L CPAs, legally Christopher, Smith, Leonard & Stanell, P.A., is a privately held certified public accounting firm founded in 1954 and headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, with additional offices in Bradenton and Tampa. The firm serves individuals, businesses, government entities, and nonprofit organizations across the Southwest Florida region, organizing its practice around six core service lines — Audit & Assurance, CFO & Accounting, Personal & Corporate Tax, Management Advisory, Estate/Gift & Succession Planning, and Successor Wealth Planning — delivered across six industry verticals: Construction/Real Estate, Government, Healthcare, Not-for-Profit Organizations, Professional Services, and Retail/Manufacturing.

The firm operates as a traditional professional-services partnership rather than a software or technology company. It offers no product API, mobile app, or proprietary platform; technology use is limited to operational tooling, including being a Certified QuickBooks Advisor and running a paperless environment, with client-facing document exchange handled through third-party portals (Client Axcess and ShareFile). Revenue is generated on a professional-services, quote-based engagement model with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, using direct consultations, RFP processes for CFO/tax/audit engagements, and referral-based business development in its regional market.

CS&L reports 49 total employees, including 42 accountants and 18 CPAs, several of whom hold specialized credentials such as AICPA Single Audit Certificates, Not-for-Profit Certificates, and Certified Fraud Examiner designations. The firm was ranked No. 388 on Business Observer's 2019 Top 500 Gulf Coast companies by gross revenues and has received multiple regional awards, including the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce's 2014 Small Business of the Year and recognition on workplace and equity-leadership lists.

Name

CS&L

Legal name

Christopher, Smith, Leonard & Stanell, P.A.

Website

https://cslcpa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CS&L CPAs is a Southwest Florida certified public accounting firm founded in 1954, offering audit, tax, CFO/accounting, advisory, and estate and succession planning services to individuals, businesses, governments, and nonprofits across six industry verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Revenue: Revenue generated from providing accounting, auditing, taxation, and consulting services to individuals, businesses, and organizations across multiple industries in Southwest Florida.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CS&L is a full-service regional CPA firm in Southwest Florida providing audit and assurance, tax planning and preparation, outsourced accounting and CFO services, advisory and consulting, and estate and succession planning services to businesses, government entities, nonprofits, and individuals. The firm operates from offices in Bradenton, Sarasota, and Tampa with approximately 49 staff including 18 CPAs serving clients across multiple industry verticals since 1954.

Product overview

CS&L CPAs (Christopher, Smith, Leonard & Stanell, P.A.) is a full-service certified public accounting firm offering professional services rather than a software product. The firm's service portfolio consists of six core service lines: Audit & Assurance, CFO & Accounting, Personal & Corporate Tax, Management Advisory, Estate/Gift & Succession Planning, and Successor Wealth Planning. These services are delivered across six industry verticals: Construction/Real Estate, Government, Healthcare, Not-for-Profit Organizations, Professional Services, and Retail/Manufacturing. Founded in 1954, the firm operates from three Florida offices in Bradenton, Sarasota, and Tampa, serving clients throughout the Southwest Florida region. The firm utilizes the latest technology in a paperless, eco-friendly environment and is a Certified QuickBooks Advisor. Client services are facilitated through client portals including Client Axcess and ShareFile for document exchange.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audit & Assurance
• Tax Planning & Preparation
• Accounting & CFO Services
• Advisory & Consulting
• Estate & Succession Planning
• Personal & Corporate Tax

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CPAmericaminorOthersMember of CPAmerica network, a membership organization of independent accounting firms providing peer review and professional development resources.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Carr, Riggs & Ingram: Carr, Riggs & Ingram is a top-25 U.S. CPA and advisory firm with multi-state offices serving nonprofits, government, construction, and healthcare — directly overlapping CS&L's industry verticals and service mix (audit, tax, advisory). Comparable as a regional accounting firm with a similar vertical-specialization strategy.
• Aprio: Aprio is a national CPA-led advisory firm serving middle-market clients with audit, tax, CFO advisory, and wealth services. Direct comparable to CS&L on service line breadth and mid-market vertical specialization, though materially larger in scale.
• Cherry Bekaert: Cherry Bekaert is a national advisory, tax, and assurance firm serving middle-market clients across similar industries (government, nonprofit, healthcare, real estate). Closely comparable to CS&L on mid-market business model, advisory-led positioning, and industry vertical focus.
• Mauldin & Jenkins: Mauldin & Jenkins is a Southeast-based CPA firm offering audit, tax, and advisory with strong nonprofit and government practices. Directly comparable to CS&L in size, regional footprint, and specialization in Single Audit and not-for-profit clients.
• Warren Averett: Warren Averett is a Southeast regional CPA and advisory firm serving closely-held businesses, nonprofits, healthcare, and government. Comparable to CS&L in vertical mix, mid-market client profile, and succession-oriented partnership model.
• Pitcher Partners / PDR CPAs: PDR CPAs is a mid-sized regional CPA firm serving nonprofits, government, and closely-held businesses with audit, tax, and advisory services. Closely comparable to CS&L in size, vertical specialization, and Southeast U.S. mid-market client base.

Broad incumbents

• Wipfli: Wipfli is a top-25 U.S. accounting and advisory firm serving middle-market organizations with audit, tax, and technology consulting. Comparable to CS&L in industry verticals served but as a much larger national platform.
• Forvis (formerly BKD): Forvis is a top-10 U.S. CPA and advisory network serving mid-market clients across healthcare, government, nonprofit, and construction. Provides comparable services to CS&L but at meaningfully larger scale and as a broader incumbent rather than a regional specialist.

Regional players

• Thomas Howell Ferguson: Thomas Howell Ferguson is a Florida-based regional CPA and advisory firm with offices in Tallahassee and other panhandle markets. Comparable to CS&L as a Florida-focused CPA practice serving government, nonprofit, and commercial clients with a similar service portfolio.
• Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company: Markham Norton Mosteller Wright is a Florida-based regional CPA firm providing audit, tax, and advisory services to construction, nonprofit, and government clients. Strong comparable to CS&L as a Florida regional peer with overlapping industry verticals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CSLCPAs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/shareArticle
• Xx.com/CSLcpas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 CS&L