Every career has its moments that clarify what matters most.
For Adam Lemberger, that moment came after years of building rare expertise in partnership taxation at one of the country’s largest accounting firms. When Adam found himself advising colleagues instead of clients, he realized something was missing. It took stepping away from direct client service for him to understand what he truly valued in his work: the client relationships, the trust.
In this installment of our team Q&A series, we sat down with Adam, who joined LLME as a senior tax manager earlier this year, to talk about his career arc and what he’s learned along the way.
Let’s start with your background. Tell us about the road that brought you to LLME?
I started my career at a San Diego-based firm, providing tax consulting and advisory services primarily advising high-net-worth clients on real estate tax matters.
Later, I joined the Big 4 but quickly found that working in the vertical of real estate investment partnerships wasn’t the career path I wanted I transitioned to focus on private wealth and businesses, which meant working with businesses, families, trusts and estates, and was far more interesting to me.
I later worked in a national practice created to handle the growing complexity of partnership taxation as private equity activity exploded. The practice assisted engagement teams and clients to navigate complex calculations, allocations, step-ups and transactions. It was during those years that I developed a deep understanding of partnership tax and transactions, but this work took me away from direct client service. Ultimately, wanting to work one-on-one with clients again led me right to LLME.
What made you want to return to direct client service?
It’s simple: I just like working with clients. I like having clients whom I’m responsible for advising.
After a few years away from direct client work, I realized I had gained a breadth of technical experience, and that I wanted to bring that knowledge back to client service.
What was it about LLME that initially stood out to you?
When I talked with the firm’s leadership, it was the client relationships that stood out most.
I heard about clients who have been with the firm since the doors opened, and LLME’s high level of service and commitment to high-quality work were eye-opening. It was also a chance to return to partnership, family office and transaction work, while leading teams and helping my colleagues grow.
What does your role as senior tax manager look like day to day?
My main role is to run client engagements for our partners. I take on the responsibility of making sure our clients are taken care of throughout the process. A big part of this is utilizing our resources appropriately, keeping engagements moving and making sure we’re managing things along the way rather than making it a dash to the finish line. Clients don’t want to be rushed at the end, and neither do we. Good client service requires planning and communication throughout the entire engagement.
What kinds of clients do you work with at LLME?
Our clients are diverse. We have business owners exiting companies, executives at both public and private companies, high-net-worth individuals and everyday people who simply need someone to help with their tax needs. We work with startups under $1 million in revenue and companies with recurring revenue over $50 million. We also work with trusts, estates and clients operating across multiple states and internationally. Truthfully, I’m agnostic when it comes to client business type and entity structure. I simply enjoy being able to bring my experience from different roles and tax situations to my work.
What advice would you give business owners thinking about a future sale?
Business owners are so busy working that they often put planning aside. Too often, when a sale opportunity comes along, they take it, then ask about reducing their tax liability. That’s too late. These conversations need to happen long before a sale, even if an acquisition isn’t on the horizon.
My advice to owners: Think about your future and put a plan in place now. If you have philanthropic intent, consider how to build that into the sale, rather than leaving it to be figured out after. If you’re approaching estate and gift limits, plan for that before you’re well above them. Don’t leave these questions until it’s too late, because pushing planning down the road will inevitably cost you more.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working with clients?
I coach my son’s basketball and flag football teams, and watch my daughter’s gymnastics and lacrosse, which I’m absolutely not qualified to coach. I recently took a charitable giving class for advisors, which got me thinking about how I want to give back. My wife is on the school’s PTA, and we try to be as involved as we can. Being at LLME has given me more space to do these things.
Want to learn more about working with — or at — LLME? Explore our services or visit our careers page.