Bowman & Co. and Hahn Loeser & Parks team up for virtual business development session

Partners from Alliott Global Alliance North American member firms Bowman & Company and Hahn Loeser & Parks recently connected for a virtual social meeting that focused on exploring potential business development opportunities.

With participation from 7 partners from accounting firm Bowman and 6 from law firm Hahn Loeser, the event’s objective was for attendees to better understand their AGA affiliates’ strengths and focus areas so to identify possible opportunities for collaboration on business development initiatives.

The idea for a social event to bring together two member firms came about following the August 2020 virtual AGA East/West Coast regional meeting when partners Ivan Golden and Chris Blake of Hahn Loeser approached partner Daryl Petrick from Bowman, wanting to learn more about “who does what” at his firm. This was the beginning of a larger conversation that Daryl had already been wanting to have around the need for increased collaboration between member firms.

To help spark conversation and give the virtual event as close to an in-person feel as possible, Bowman provided bottles of wine from one of their clients, Harney Lane Winery (based in Lodi, CA), to their counterparts at Hahn Loeser.

Daryl commented:

“There are some disciplines that work really well together, and we need to be more collaborative within our alliance especially between law and accounting firms.

“For example, the legal side tends to be very state-specific; so, the fact that Hahn Loeser has a San Diego office could be mutually beneficial when it comes to needs that cross over between law and accounting in California.”

During the session, everyone was given the chance to introduce themselves and provide some insights into their respective specialties, industries, and professional service areas.

Discussions also developed around how both firms (and others within AGA) can potentially tap into future business development or referral opportunities while leaning on their knowledge of member firms’ strengths and focus areas.

With regards to doing similar events in the future, Daryl added:

“This event was definitely a success and we'd be very interested in doing an event like this again, and the more firms we can encourage to collaborate with one another, the better. It’s important for us to be strategic and focused, and for all of us to have a better understanding of what our fellow regional firms’ strengths are.”

Similarly, Chris Blake echoed Daryl’s sentiments in his post-event email to the attendees following the wine social and the Hahn Loeser team took things a step further by putting together a comprehensive “About Us” document highlighting each of their partners’ respective professional backgrounds, including specialty and/or industry focuses, and even some fun facts about each person—which they then shared with their colleagues at Bowman.

This event is undoubtedly a great example of initiative and collaboration between AGA member firms to leverage their geographical similarities and complementary specialties and to explore possible opportunities to refer and develop new business for and with one another. 

About Bowman & Co:

Bowman & Company has earned a reputation for providing innovative, forward-thinking tax planning strategies and exceptional client service in a personalized, fun way. As trusted business and financial advisors to closely held and family businesses in the Stockton region, throughout California and the West, our firm's mission is to help our clients minimize tax obligations, make intelligent decisions about their business and exceed their financial goals. Established by Herbert Bowman in 1949, Bowman & Company quickly became one of the Stockton area's largest accounting firms by never losing sight of our founder's observation, "There's no right way to do the wrong thing." Our history has set the tone for everything we have accomplished as a firm; Bowman & Company has grown not only in our number of employees, but also in our capacity and capabilities.

About Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP:

Founded in 1920, Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP is a full-service law firm with offices in the following cities in Ohio: Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, Fort Myers, Naples and San Diego. We have more than 130 attorneys who provide sophisticated and creative counsel to a wide spectrum of clients, both regionally and around the world. We have built a team of highly skilled attorneys and staff members across the United States who offer our clients creative business solutions and a collaborative approach that distinguishes us from other law firms. When it comes to our employees, we don’t compromise. Our edge has come from focusing on the people we serve and the people who serve them. Hahn Loeser’s International Practice Group makes the success of its clients’ businesses its top priority, counseling U.S. clients that are expanding internationally, as well as foreign clients pursuing business interests in the U.S. Read more

About Alliott Global Alliance:

Founded in 1979, and with 190 member firms in 80 countries Alliott Global Alliance is an award-winning alliance of independent, law, accounting, and specialist advisory firms, working across the world Together as One. Each of our members share a common goal: to learn and share knowledge, resources, and opportunities to make the world smaller and their businesses stronger.

We work with a spirit of generosity and openness — so that together, we can continue to fulfil our ambitions, gain greater experience, and drive mutual success.

Alliott Global Alliance is expanding fast, and the alliance has its sights set firmly on growing its legal and accounting membership to 100 countries. Opportunities are available to independent professional firms in Central, North and South America, and also in specific countries across Africa, Europe, China, the ASEAN region, Australasia, and the Middle East. For information about membership contact Damien McMenamin (damien@alliottglobal.com), Head of Global Business Development.