Andersen still on top in accountants roster.

Turbulent year spells mixed performance among CPAs

A mixed year, 1991 brought good news for some but bad news for other public accounting firms here, according to data compiled by the Business Journal for its annual List of the 50 largest CPA firms in Los Angeles County.

Among the 50 included in The List (see pages 22 and 24), 16 firms increased the number of their professionals over a year earlier in L.A.; another 14 had the same number; but 13 reduced the number of their professionals. In addition, seven firms were added to The List of 50 while seven firms that were on last year's List fell off after failing to make the cut, which was hiked to 20 professionals from 16 last year.

Among the Big Six accounting firms Arthur Andersen & Co. retained its ranking as No. 1 in the county with 1,200 professionals here, including 450 Certified Public Accountants, unchanged from the prior year.

However, KPMG Peat Marwick displaced Ernst & Young as No. 2 here. Although Peat's numbers remained unchanged from a year ago, when the firm ranked No. 4, Ernst slipped to fourth this year after that firm's local number of professionals was slashed by 155 to 820, the number of CPAs by 125 to 325.

Deloitte & Touche retained its No. 3 ranking although the firm cut its number of professionals by 78 to 850, its CPAs by 60 to 410.

Ernst and Deloitte suffered the two largest staff reductions of any accounting firms here, perhaps reflecting further digestion of the pair's mergers in 1990. They were between Arthur Young & Co. and Ernst & Whinney to form Ernst & Young and between Deloitte Haskins & Sells and Touche Ross & Co. to form Deloitte & Touche.

Scoring the biggest increase in professional employees here -- by 35 to 768 (although CPAs dipped by six to 390) -- was Coopers & Lybrand, which retained its No. 5 ranking among accounting firms in L.A. County.

Price Waterhouse remained No. 6 as the firm's number of professionals was unchanged at 600 here, including 300 CPAs.

Also scoring a big decline year-to-year here was Pannell Kerr Forster. The national accounting firm's number of L.A. County professionals fell 47 percent to 45 professionals from 85 a year ago, including a 36 percent drop in CPAs here to 35 from 55 a year ago, and the firm's local ranking slipped to 18th from ninth.

Another firm suffering a ranking drop here, to 39th from 27th last year, is Encino-based Kirsch Kohn Oster & Bridge. Its number of professionals skidded to 29 from 37, CPAs to 20 from 25.

Jumping to 27th from 34th, Beverly Hills-based Nanas Stern Biers Neinstein & Co. expanded its number of professionals by nine to 40.

Among the seven newcomers to The List are: 15th ranked Nigro Karlin & Segal with 70 professionals, 40 CPAs; 36th ranked Lucas & Co. CPAs Inc. with 30 professionals, 21 CPAs, in South Pasadena; 37th ranked Frankel Lodgen Lacher Golditch & Sardi with 30 professionals, 20 CPAs, in Encino. Other newcomers: Miller & Co. CPAs with 27 professionals, 17 CPAs, in Santa Monica; Tanner Mainstain & Hoffer with 25 professionals, 14 CPAs, in L.A.; Sobul & Co. with 20 professionals, 11 CPAs, in L.A.; and Hallstein & Warner CPAs with 20 professionals, 10 CPAs, in Long Beach.

Firms disappearing from The List this year that were on last year's List: Comins Schenkelberg & Weiner Inc., Sherman Oaks; Parke Guptill & Co., West Covina; Kruse Mennillo & Co. A/C, L.A.; Gorelick Uslaner & Freed, L.A.; Landsman Frank & Sinclair A/C, Beverly Hills; Johnson & Associates, Torrance; and Given Finkel & Co., Santa Monica.