Prior to joining the firm, Blake was a tax partner with the international accounting firm of KP MG Peat Marwick and also served as Tax Director with a Fortune 500 corporat ion.
Blake’s clients include multi-national, publicly traded corporations, as well as closely held owner -managed businesses. His industry concentration includes manufacturing and distribution, service companies, restaurant, shipping and transportation, e nergy and healthcare. In addition to corporate, partnership and individual tax compliance and planning, Blake is experienced in the design and impleme ntation of executive compensation plans.
Blake is a nationally recognized expert and frequent author and speak er on State and Federal Location-based Incentive Credits (LBIC’s), in cluding State Enterprise Zone Credits, Federal Empowerment, Renewal Communi ty, Indian Tribal Lands and Gulf Opportunity Zone Credits. He has also assi sted in the development of specialized software, which is used by over 200 tax departments throughout the U.S. to identify LBIC’s.
A regular tax columnist for the AICPA Corporate Tax Insider Newsletter (national distribution of over 70,000) and a regular contributor to the Long Beach Business Journal’s “Dollars & Se nse,” Blake has lectured at a number of universities, including Unive rsity of Southern California (Masters and Business Tax Program) and Califor nia State University, Long Beach (Annual Tax Conference) as well as various business and tax forums throughout the country. He has also been a technic al resource for a number of news organizations, including USA Today, Los An geles Times, KTLA News, Orange County News Channel, KNX News Radio, KFI Rad io and various Business Journals.
W ith over twenty-nine years of experience, Blake is a member of the Tax Divi sion of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and Cal Chamber Tax Com mittee. Blake serves and has served on numerous community boards, including 2008 Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman, 2011-2012 President-Ele ct of Long Beach Rotary, Vice-Chairman of the (post-bankruptcy) Orange Coun ty Treasury Advisory Committee, Long Beach Assistance League, Long Beach Sy mphony Corporate Circle, member of the City of Long Beach “Red Team&r dquo; (Boeing C-17 project) and the city’s Checkered Flag Team (autom otive industry economic development).
Blake received a master’s degree in taxation from the University o f Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in business administrat ion from California State University Long Beach.
< font size="2">Contact Info: blakec@ hcvt.com / (562) 216-1800 / Long Beach Office