August 28, 2025

CPA Firm Ownership Under Fire | ARC

43 minutes

As private equity reshapes the profession, accounting leaders debate who should hold the keys to ownership.

Accounting ARC

With Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny Shimamoto

Center for Accounting Transformation

When New York passed the first CPA licensure law in 1896, the goal was simple: protect the public by ensuring financial professionals met high standards. More than a century later, that mandate is at the heart of a heated debate about who should be allowed to own CPA firms.

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In the latest episode of Accounting ARC, hosts Liz Mason, CPA; Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, explore the evolution of firm ownership rules and their implications for the profession.

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