ACCOUNTING FIRM · CENTURY CITY
A Century City accounting firm partners at law and talent firms recommend to each other.
A boutique CPA firm serving Century City law firms, talent agencies, finance practices, and the principals inside them. Firm returns, partner returns, trust and IOLTA reviews, business management, and advisory. Partner-led since 2013.
SCHEDULE A DISCOVERY CONVERSATION →Where the firm sits with Century City clients
Most of our Century City work comes through the same channel: a partner at a law or talent firm has both a firm-level return and a personal picture that has outgrown a solo CPA. They want one firm that can handle the firm's books and taxes, the partner's own returns and business management, and the trust and IOLTA accounting that comes with the practice — without three separate providers and three separate calendars.
Laléa & Black, LLP was built for that arrangement. One CPA partner leads the relationship. Firm-level, partner-level, and family-level work flow through the same team. Coordination is a feature, not a service line.
Century City, from Fox Plaza to the Century Plaza Towers
The concentration of professional-services firms in the Century City core — Fox Plaza, the Century Plaza Towers, the corridor along Avenue of the Stars and Constellation — creates a very specific client profile: partner income, K-1s from the firm, deferred comp, real estate, and often a spouse's separate business. From our office at 256 South Robertson Blvd, Century City is a five-minute reach. Most engagements begin in person and stay that way.
Practice areas
- Firm-level tax and books — federal, California, and multi-state entity returns for law firms, agencies, and finance practices.
- Partner personal returns — layered K-1s, deferred comp, guaranteed payments, and multi-state allocations.
- Trust and IOLTA accounting review — reconciliation, client-trust reporting, and preparation of court-ready trust accountings when needed.
- Business management for partners and principals — bill pay, cash flow, and household coordination.
- Advisory and CFO — entity design, retirement plan structure (cash-balance and defined-benefit), and exit planning.
- Court & trust accounting — Probate Code §1060-1064 and §16063 compliant filings for LA County Superior Court.
Credentials on your engagement
Founder Daniel Litvin. Partner David Meyer, CPA. Every lead is an MBA-holding CPA. All staff US-based. In practice since 2013. We are deliberately smaller than the branch offices two floors above our clients — that is why our clients hired us.
What clients say
"The team at Laléa & Black handles our bookkeeping with clarity and reliability. Their responsiveness and professional approach make them a trusted partner in managing our finances."
— Joe Liebke, CEO @ Villaway
Frequently asked
Q: How do you handle partner K-1s across a firm?
A: Capital-account tracking runs monthly through the year so K-1s are generated with continuity, not rebuilt from scratch each spring. Guaranteed payments, deferred comp, and profits-interest distributions all reconcile at year-end.
Q: We're a law firm — do you review our IOLTA?
A: Yes. Three-way reconciliations, State Bar-ready documentation, and support during any State Bar audit. This is a routine part of our professional-services engagements, not a specialty add-on.
Q: Can you replace our current CPA firm for the firm return only, without the personal returns?
A: Yes. Firm-only engagements are common. That said, we often find efficiency gains when the partner returns come with — the firm K-1s stop being a translation problem.
Q: What if the firm needs to switch mid-year?
A: Mid-year onboarding includes a cleanup component. We coordinate the transition with the outgoing firm so partner capital and IOLTA tie perfectly at the switch.
How to start
A 30-minute call with a named partner. Free, no obligation. We look at the firm return, the partner return, and the household picture together, then send a written engagement with fixed scope.
Century City accounting firm. Firm return, partner return, and everything in between.
Boutique. Partner-led. Set up for law firm, talent agency, and finance-practice partners who want one firm to hold the whole picture. Thirty-minute discovery conversation.
SCHEDULE A DISCOVERY CONVERSATION →CALL (866) 222-6060
Frequently Asked
Century City — questions we hear.
What services does an accounting firm in Century City offer to professional services clients?
A Century City accounting firm typically offers HNW tax planning and preparation, entity structuring, partnership tax work, deferred compensation planning, business management, and IRS/FTB representation. For law firms and investment shops directly, services extend into partnership accounting, K-1 preparation, payroll, and CFO-level advisory. Given the client base, most Century City engagements are advisory-heavy rather than pure compliance work.
What's the difference between a solo CPA and an accounting firm in Century City?
A solo CPA in Century City typically handles individual returns and light advisory. An accounting firm brings a team with capacity for partnership tax, business management, multi-entity coordination, and internal controls. For Century City HNW clients with law firm K-1s, investment K-1s, and multi-state exposure, a firm delivers more consistent attention and better coordination with wealth managers and attorneys than a solo practice.
What should a Century City professional ask before hiring an accounting firm?
Ask about experience with your specific situation — law firm partner, fund principal, corporate executive — since each has distinct planning needs. Ask about direct partner access, response times, and coordination with your wealth manager and attorney. Ask specifically about California PTE elections, deferred compensation planning, and multi-state sourcing. And ask for a clear scope and fee estimate before engagement rather than open-ended hourly billing.
How do accounting firms in Century City charge?
Most Century City accounting firms charge fixed fees for tax return preparation and monthly retainers for ongoing advisory or business management. Hourly billing usually applies to IRS/FTB representation, one-off projects, and complex research work. For HNW clients, retainer-based engagements make sense because year-round planning creates more value than April-only compliance work. Engagement letters should clearly define scope and deliverables.
Do accounting firms in Century City coordinate with wealth managers and attorneys?
Yes, and coordinated advice is often where boutique Century City firms add the most value. Tax, investment, and legal decisions overlap constantly for HNW professionals, so a good accounting team joins calls with the wealth manager and estate attorney to make sure the tax lens is present. This avoids common mistakes like triggering AMT on ISO exercises or missing PTE election deadlines mid-year.