What do butterflies, birds, and ballet have in common with accounting? Ask LSL CPAs partner, Lisa Favor, who has been a dancer since she was six years old. “Having a solid connection between the outdoors, classical music and dancing, especially during tax season, keeps my mind and spirits in good order.” Plus, as in dancing, accounting is about striving to "hit the mark.” Each discipline serves the other.

Lisa learned to love accounting from her dad, who used to take her with him to his medical clients each month, where she would busy herself with coloring books while he did the accounting. When she was 21, she started her accounting career in her father’s CPA firm while still in college. Early on she became the business manager for a large hospital-based medical group, “from which I learned, first-hand, the internal business needs of that industry,” she says.

In her care for her clients, she focuses on achieving financial security.  One of Lisa’s passions is working with business owners to eliminate debt, save taxes, and build savings through individualized cash-flow planning. “I tailor my financial and tax advice to each client’s financial goals, which brings a unique and holistic approach to our service.”

Great Clients for Lisa… Medical groups, hospital-based groups, and high-net-worth individuals are excellent fits for Lisa’s talents and background. She orchestrates a service we call “Virtual Office,” which acts as a back-office for hospital-based medical groups without their own office.  We pay bills, run payroll, and produce financial statements with useful dashboards; all while intermingling tax-savings measures throughout the business structure.

LSL Candidate Tip … “I absolutely love unraveling tax law and making it work for my clients. Saving taxes builds wealth, so that is a big motivator for me.” She also feels proud that the CPA code of ethics represents integrity, due care, and protection of the public.

Personal … Lisa loves to dance, but she and her CPA husband also enjoy swimming in the ocean, family -time, their awesome friends and watching birds together. They have two grown children, and it’s her husband who grows the milkweed to attract the butterflies (and birds) to their garden.  “God gives us free resources for our best living:  nature, music, relationships, exercise.  Now let’s take the resources from your hard work and make them an enhancement to your life.”

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal

AICPA

Cal Society of CPAs

National Charity League

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Accounting from San Diego State University

For over 30 years, Maria has served clients in a variety of areas including financial statement audits, reviews and compilations as well as business and individual taxation. Maria excels working with clients in the real estate, and healthcare industries, along with employee benefit plans.

Maria manages our not-for-profit and ERISA Pension Plan Audit Department. She has experience auditing labor unions, associations and 401(k) plans. Maria leads her department in staying up to date on the ever-changing trends, laws and Department of Labor regulations.

As an expert in the real estate industry Maria brings tax strategies such as Cost Segregation, 1031 exchanges, debt restructuring, capital financing and cash flow projections to the table. Maria manages LSL’s Cost Segregation department and is responsible for the implementation and completion of all Cost Segregation studies. Maria is involved with Commercial Real Estate Women of Orange County (CREW-OC), one of the leading commercial real estate organizations for executive women in Orange County.

Maria’s passion is to help run manufacturing and distribution businesses with specialization in international business entering the US market. Her focus is on overseas production including business expansions. Maria understands the complexities of manufacturing accounting and business advice in such a unique industry.

Great Clients for Maria…value a partner in their business to help guide them to greater success.
LSL candidate tip… Ask her about her kids and traveling and her big fat Cuban Family.
Personal… Her son, Kyle, was married in August 2018.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal
Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Member, California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
Member, Commercial Real Estate Women of Orange County (CREW-OC)
Member, Western Pension & Benefits Association
Licensed as a Registered Representative and Life Agent

Education:

B.A. degree in Business Administration with an Accounting emphasis, California State University, Fullerton

Messes don't worry Michael. His natural organizing skills take over until everything makes sense again.

His clients include entrepreneurs and busy professionals who value an advisor to keep their taxes and financials in order. He might meet with a manufacturer one day and a real estate investor the next, but their goals center on minimizing tax impact and building a healthy balance sheet. For Michael's professional clients, this is especially important due to potentially complex compensation, risk management and succession issues.

Practicing since 1998, Michael decided to focus his practice on high net worth tax clients and closely held companies at LSL CPAs because of the complexity and multiple advisory needs. He not only provides tax planning and reporting, but he also consults on business strategic planning and has represented clients before tax authorities. He enjoys being available to clients for any business or personal financial questions.

Great Clients for Michael... want to be proactive in minimizing tax impact as they build wealth.
LSL candidate tip... Talk about baseball; Michael, his wife and their best friends are working on seeing a game in every Major League baseball stadium.
Personal... member of a weekly roller hockey league and happily married with children who enjoy taking the family camper on a road trip.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
Member, Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce
Member, ProGrowth
Volunteer Auditor, local elementary PTA

Education:

Masters of Science in Taxation, California State University, Fullerton
B.A. degree in Business Administration with Accounting emphasis, California State University, Fullerton

Pam brings with her over 20 years of taxation and consulting experience. Pam’s areas of expertise include tax compliance for complex high net worth individuals and pass-through entities including partnerships, limited liability companies, S corporations and C corporations. She has extensive experience in providing tax planning for multi-state high net worth individuals and their closely held businesses. She also has significant experience in handling federal and state tax audits. Pam has worked with companies in a variety of industries including real estate, professional services and wholesale manufacturing.

Great Clients for Pam…entrepreneurial clients who do a little bit of everything. She likes the challenge of clients that need a variety of advice and services.
LSL candidate tip… Ask Pam about what she likes most about serving her clients or her latest favorite music. She really enjoys being more than just an advisor to her clients. She likes a wide variety of music types and often has something unexpected playing in her office.
Personal… Pam is married with two children; one in college and one in high school. She likes to read in her free time and also likes to keep up on current news.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal
Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Member, California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
Member, Commercial Real Estate Women of Orange County (CREW-OC)

Education:

M.S. degree in Taxation, Golden Gate University
B.A. degree in Business Administration with Accounting emphasis, California State University, Fullerton

With over twenty years of experience in private and public accounting, Yana has extensive knowledge in many areas of taxation. She is serving clients in manufacturing, healthcare and real estate industries providing them with entity planning support, transaction structuring, practice entry and exit strategies, cross-border transactions and other important financial matters.

Yana’s area of expertise is U.S. international taxation and compliance. She provides international tax consulting to the firm’s foreign-owned corporate clients as well as US-resident clients doing business abroad.

Yana’s background includes, among other services, revenue recognition for tax purposes, Section 382 issues (Net Operating Losses), preparation and review of provisions for current and deferred income taxes under ASC 740 (formerly FAS 109 and FIN 48), analysis of overhead allocations for the purpose of uniform inventory capitalization rules (Section 263A), and related party transactions.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Member, California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
Branch Vice Treasurer, 2018-2020, The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners of Orange County (STEP-OC)
Member, The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners of Orange County (STEP-OC)

Education:

M.B.A. degree in Finance, University of California, Irvine
M.S. degree in Taxation, Golden Gate University
B.S. degree in Business Administration with a Finance & Banking emphasis, Russian Economic Academy

For Jeff, being a CPA is more than crunching numbers; it’s about being a trusted advisor and helping clients solve problems. "Every day brings new challenges, and the thrill of making a difference for my clients keeps the work interesting and fulfilling."

As a partner in LSL's Tax department, Jeff works with clients in manufacturing, real estate, construction, and professional services. His passion lies in unraveling complex financial challenges and providing tailor-made solutions that shape their success. Whether it’s helping new businesses launch, assisting existing businesses entering new markets, helping clients pass on their business to the next generation, or guiding them through the sales process, he finds fulfillment in knowing that he plays a crucial role in their future.

Jeff's passion for accounting ignited in college, where he found himself excelling in accounting and business courses. Now, as a mentor, he guides and empowers his team to thrive by embracing their accounting journeys and discovering their unique niches.

Great clients for Jeff … Jeff's daily drive centers around the success of his clients. He enjoys handling complex challenges and unique situations, helping turn their goals into reality.

LSL candidate tip … Jeff empowers his team to embrace a growth mindset, always encouraging curiosity and continuous learning.

Personal … When he's not at work, Jeff can be found cheering on his kids at their sporting events or enjoying a UCLA football game. In his free time, he enjoys camping and going to the beach with his family. You can also find him savoring a delicious Italian dish!

Professional and Civic Involvement

Firm member, PrimeGlobal
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA),
Member, California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
Board Member at Southland Economic Development Corporation

Education

B.S. in Business Administration, Accounting – University of California, Riverside
MBA in Management Information Systems – University of California, Riverside

Wesley loves fixing things. Whether it is troubleshooting and repairing cars, computers, or accounting problems, Wesley can work through almost any complicated issue. Attention to detail, focus, and dedication to the task come naturally to him. Being called a “numbers person” from an early age, and having an interest in both politics and business, Wesley seemed almost destined to be a CPA.

Wesley is a lifelong Southern California resident, and immediately after graduating from UC Irvine started working in the tax industry. Over the 9 years since obtaining his BA, he has helped his clients complete their Individual, business, and nonprofit organization tax returns, while at the same time earning his CPA designation. He has provided tax, business, and regulatory accounting guidance principally to real estate investors, construction firms, and manufacturing companies.

Regarding his specializing in the tax manager area, Wesley says, “CPAs are expected to keep up with the constantly changing tax regulations, and this is something that makes my job rewarding and exciting. The best feeling is seeing a client benefit from the advice that I offer them.”

Great Clients for Wesley… Anyone needing dependable, up-to-the-minute recommendations on their tax situation would be an excellent client for Wesley. (Wait. That’s everyone, and that’s okay!)
LSL candidate tip... “Tax management is not solely about taxes,” Wesley says. “Good tax advice can help business owners and managers make the best business and financial decisions.”
Personal... Wesley likes to go hiking on Orange County’s many beautiful hiking trails. As a California native, he’s a loyal Lakers and Dodgers fan. Oh, and that troubleshooting thing we mentioned? “Fixing things is a personal hobby. Bring your broken vacuum cleaner to your tax appointment, and I might just fix it while I do your tax return,” Wesley says. “I’m not kidding.”

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal

Education:

BA in Business Economics from UC Irvine

Chris has over 15 years of experience in public accounting. He joined the LSL team in 2002.

Chris has a broad range of industry experience including manufacturing, real estate, and service companies. His areas of expertise include complex audit, review, and financial reporting issues and ERISA employee benefit plan audits.

Chris manages the majority of the firms’ review and audit engagements.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal
Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Member, California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
Member, Western Pension & Benefits Association

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Chapman University

Stephanie Joseph became interested in accounting while working as a Credit Analyst, where she analyzed tax returns and financial statements for commercial lending. She soon realized she wanted to prepare the returns she spent so much time analyzing and became an accountant. Sixteen years later, she is still enjoying that career choice.

With a double major in Mathematics (Concentration in Actuarial Science) and Statistics, Stephanie says, “It’s no wonder accounting was a natural career path for me. And I have been working for a CPA firm from 2008 to my time here at LSL CPAs.”

Adding value is very important to Stephanie. She takes each client’s financial statement data and creates a meaningful analysis based on what the client will want to know about their business. These special reports accompany the monthly financial statements she delivers, and serve as a way to help her clients know where to focus their efforts ­and energy.

Stephanie also provides LSL clients with Virtual Office accounting, a back-office for hospital-based medical groups without their own office. In addition, she works closely with owners on cash flow planning, projections, tax planning and forecasting.

Great Clients for Stephanie… Most of her experience is in medical accounting, and some real estate, and her background supports working both at the corporate and individual tax returns level.

LSL Candidate Tip … You’d want Stephanie on your side of the accounting ledger in whatever she’s working on for you. She has been doing CrossFit for almost ten years and likes to compete on occasion.

Personal … Beside CrossFit, Stephanie plays golf with her husband and spends much of her free time running their two boys to hockey practices and games. Stephanie played golf in college, so watch out if you join her on the “links” one day! She and her family spend part of their summers in Whitefish, Montana, where she was born and raised.

Professional and Civic Involvement:

Firm member, PrimeGlobal

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Math and Statistics – Colorado State University, 2001