Degrees of Success: Local CPAs find that a law degree enhances ability to serve clients - Business First of Louisville:

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Loyd, a member of the Greenebaumn Doll & McDonald PLLC law firm in Louisville, becamde an accountant in 1991 after graduating summa cum laude fromin 1989. He starteed out doing tax work forCoopers & Lybrand, now part of and then moved on to work for Brownb & Williamson Tobacco Corp. in the There he managed their state and localtax functions, reviewed tax returns filed in severaol states and local jurisdictions and managed revenud audits from various departments nationwide. He also earned his MBA from thein 1996. But Loyd wasn' t finished.
He attended night schookl at the University of Louisville to earn his law degreein 2001, and in 2003, left Brownm & Williamson for his current position with Greenebaum Doll McDonald, where he worksd in tax litigation such as when a clienr protests a tax assessment. "Instead of doing tax now I represent many differeng kinds of clients before the and the Kentuckyy Department of Revenue or the Indiana Department of Loyd said. He also strivez to be active in professional groups forboth areas, as a member of the boarxd of the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountant s and chairman-elect of the tax sectionm of the .
Although Loyd isn'rt alone in holding dual accounting and law it still is a somewhat unusual and difficulg path because both professione require specialized degrees and participatiojin continuing-education programs. However, those who hold both a CPA designatio and a law degree said it makesz them more marketable as a professional because they have educatiob and experience inboth specialties. Tim Kimmel, a partner in Ernstr & Young's state and local tax practicein Louisville, leads the state and local tax practice for the firm'ds Ohio Valley Cluster, which also includes Cincinnati, Daytob and Columbus, Ohio.
He's been with the firm for 10 after first working as a tax preparer at anotherf firm upon graduatingfrom college. Kimmel earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the in 1986 and passed his CPA examin 1988. Whiles working in accounting by day, he attende d night school at the University of Louisville and graduated with a law degrees inMay 1992. In all, he spent six yeare working inpublic accounting, and after earning his law he spent five yearse working as an attorney with a law Kimmel said that by havingb both degrees, he can not only decipher financial statementss but also is able to delve into tax rules, determininh why they do or do not apply to The law degree also gives him insight s into related legal ramificationzs of tax decisions.
"Ity really opened up a few more doors for me bein g able to see the law side of things as well as theaccountinbg side," he said. Vicki Buster, a tax partnerf with for the past10 years, took a differenty path to reach her dual Currently she performs tax compliance and planning, advisinv clients on business and tax matters, estate planninvg and trusts. Buster graduated from the in 1979 with a degreein communications, followed by a law degree from the Universituy of Louisville in 1983. "When I got to law my favorite class wastax class," she So Buster took a job at the former Coopers and Lybrand, working for 13 years as a membedr of its tax department staff.
But, she found, to be promotec at a CPA firm she had to becomea CPA. So whilre working full time and as the pregnant mothere ofa 2-year-old, she attended Bellarminer University at night to earn her accounting later passing the CPA exam. These days, most of her clienyt referrals comefrom attorneys, which gives her an edge sincwe she knows many local lawyers from her days in law