Howard Grobstein didn’t co-found Grobstein Teeple with the express purpose of being named one of LA’s Top 100 Accountants, but it’s an accolade that has been bestowed upon him.

Howard has just been named one of the Top 100 Accountants in Los Angeles for 2023 by the Los Angeles Business Journal, on the back of what has been another stellar year for Grobstein Teeple.

Having founded the firm just over 10 years ago alongside co-founder Josh Teeple, Howard says being recognized as one of the top accountants in Los Angeles is recognition for all the late nights and long hours that have gone into developing the firm.

“I am so proud to be named as one of Los Angeles’ Top 100 Accountants,” he said.

“The recognition is genuinely appreciated for the work my team and I do every day here at Grobstein Teeple.”

With more than 3,000 firms offering professional accounting services throughout the Los Angeles metro area alone, Howard’s selection to the Top 100 Accountants list places him in elite company.

But having chosen to leave a major national firm in favor of blazing his own path, Howard admits it hasn’t always been plain sailing.

“I took a huge risk leaving a nationwide firm—where I was Partner—just over 10 years ago,” he said.

“But I had the courage to take the plunge and do something huge that I don’t think a lot of other people would be willing to do.”

A natural entrepreneur and self-confessed risk-taker, Howard admits co-founder Josh Teeple is the yin to his more daring yang.

“My partner, Josh Teeple, is the complete opposite of me, which is why run the firm so well.

“We sort of balance each other out—and he also understands that without risk, there’s no reward.”

‘One of the 10 Most Admired Business Leaders’

Along with being named as one of Los Angeles’ Top 100 Accountants, Howard has also been named one of the ‘10 most admired business leaders to watch in 2023’ by Inc Media.

Labeling him a “dynamic leader” who “founded Grobstein Teeple with a vision of decoding complicated financial problems into practical solutions,” the publication says the firm has always been considered a one-of-its-kind place to work.

That’s something Howard takes great pride in—pointing out he has always believed in treating every team member and partner of the firm as an equal.

“I’ve always felt that if you give somebody a job title and they have all the credentials, they can go out into the world and make something happen,” he explained.

“It’s all about finding the right people and giving them the tools to do what they need to do—and just helping them to feel like they’re genuinely part of the firm.”

Howard says that while awards from publications like the Los Angeles Business Journal and Inc Media help get Grobstein Teeple’s name out into the public, ultimately the firm’s goal is simply to provide clients with the highest-quality services.

Pointing out that Grobstein Teeple does much more than just tax returns and traditional accounting—including offering a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity, e-discovery, and business valuation services—Howard says it’s all part of providing a one-stop-shop solution for the firm’s clients.

“We really do strive to make Grobstein Teeple a kind of ‘white glove’ service provider—where you might pay a bit more than you do at your local firms, but you get absolutely stellar service.

“And then if something does go wrong, and you need a litigation expert or some cybersecurity or e-discovery advice, we’ve got everything you need in-house—you don’t need to go to a bunch of different places.”

A Firm Determined to Be ‘Distinctly Different’

While Howard is quick to point out that Grobstein Teeple doesn’t offer “cheap tax returns,” he says the firm’s long-standing list of loyal clients is proof that providing bespoke services works.

“I always ask prospective clients to give us access to their tax returns for the past three years,” he explained.

“And then I tell them: ‘I can almost guarantee we’ll find something that would have saved you a lot of money.’”

Many of those clients come to Grobstein Teeple with a substantial net worth that requires specialist attention to protect.

“We had one prospective client who had a multi-million dollar private equity investment and he was filing his tax returns through another firm.

“So I said: ‘let’s take a look at the draft before you file the returns’.

“And my tax partners literally found him $600,000 worth of savings right off the bat. 

“Needless to say, that client switched to Grobstein Teeple.”

Having founded the firm as a single office with just eight team members in 2013, Howard Grobstein is delighted to have been named as one of LA’s Top 100 Accountants by the Los Angeles Business Journal, as well as one of the 10 most admired business leaders by Inc Media.

But he says this is just the start. 

“I’m very proud of what we have built,” he said.

“We’re all highly talented, technical specialists who can do complex work across a range of fields and services… and there’s not a lot of other regional firms out there who can do what we do.”

If you are looking to switch accountants or need expert help in a range of other complex areas, simply get in touch to book a call.