Grant Thornton’s San Jose office admits two new Tax partners and the San Francisco office promotes two managing directors

Grant Thornton LLP admitted Dana Lance and JJ Schneider as Tax partners in the firm’s San Jose office and promoted Orus Dearman and Randy Heng to Advisory managing directors in the firm’s San Francisco office. Across the firm, Grant Thornton admitted 47 new partners and principals and promoted 29 professionals to managing director.

Partners and principals admitted to the firm are proven leaders that have demonstrated excellence in embracing the firm’s values and helping clients achieve smart, quality growth in all aspects of their businesses. Noted for their exceptional contributions to Grant Thornton, these experienced professionals demonstrate a great ability to build relationships with clients and people at all levels of the firm. Managing directors are the highest-level employee position in the firm and are important members of the firm’s leadership team.

“Dana, JJ, Orus and Randy have consistently demonstrated long-term leadership in both the profession and their communities, and they have provided tremendous value to our clients, as well as to our firm,” said Tony Perazzo, Grant Thornton’s Greater Bay Area partner-in-charge. “These promotions highlight Grant Thornton’s commitment to building a healthy, high-performance culture, which goes hand in hand with supporting the career development of our leaders at all levels across the firm.”

Lance joined the firm in 2005 and has more than 10 years of experience providing general tax services for a number of large multistate and multinational clients. Having recently relocated to the Bay Area from Florida, Lance is the State and Local Tax Practice leader for California’s Greater Bay Area. Focusing primarily in the technology sector, she also has in-depth experience providing tax services to businesses in the service, manufacturing, distribution and shipping industries. Lance also has extensive partnership experience serving the state and local tax needs of several large private equity firms around the country. Prior to being admitted as partner, Lance served as a senior manager for Grant Thornton in the state of Florida, leading the state and local income and franchise tax service line for the state. Lance also served as the leader for Grant Thornton’s women’s initiative for the state of Florida, and was active in the community through service and involvement.

Lance is a certified public accountant (CPA) in California and Florida and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the California Society of CPAs (CalCPA), the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA), and has served on the FICPA State Tax Committee. Lance received a master’s degree in taxation from Florida Atlantic University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Barry University.

Schneider joined the firm in 2004 and has more than 12 years of tax services experience. As a member of Grant Thornton’s Tax Accounting and Risk Advisory Services team, he provides his clients with technical expertise in ASC 740 - Accounting for Income Taxes. He has extensive experience in federal and state income tax compliance and consulting services, foreign information reporting forms and foreign U.S. source income tax withholding. Schneider serves clients in a variety of industries, including semiconductor, software, software as a service, digital media, professional services, distribution, publishing, and financial services. His client work includes publicly traded and private equity backed multinationals, early stage and venture backed start-ups, and closely held private business. Prior to being admitted as partner, Schneider served as a senior manager in the firm’s Tax Services practice.

Schneider is a CPA in California and Ohio and a member of the AICPA, the CalCPA and the Ohio Society of CPAs. Schneider received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with emphasis in accounting from The Ohio State University.

Dearman joined the firm in 2006 and has more than 15 years of experience providing technology assessments and advisory services in the technology and federal industries. His experience includes leading cybersecurity projects within national cybersecurity frameworks and leading the organization’s FedRAMP services. Prior to being promoted to managing director, Dearman served as a director in Business Advisory Services.

Dearman is a Certified Information Systems Auditor and is a member of InfraGard, the Information Systems Security Association, High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA) and ISACA. Dearman received a master’s degree in accounting and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from West Virginia University.

Heng joined the firm in 2007 and has nearly 10 years of experience in valuations for financial accounting, tax and reorganization purposes for both U.S. and international companies. He leads the West Region’s Complex Financial Instruments valuation practice. Heng specializes in the valuation of equity securities and derivatives, fixed income securities and derivatives, hybrid instruments, embedded derivatives and contingent assets and liabilities. He also has experience in general corporate valuation services, purchase accounting and impairment testing. His industry experience includes work for technology, cleantech, energy, health care, financial services, entrepreneurial and manufacturing clients. Prior to being promoted to managing director, Heng served as a director in the Valuation Services practice.

Heng received a master’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.