August 1, 2026 (Arlington, VA) -- Two firms within the Ascend platform have expanded through recent additions. Both moves reflect a growing trend of independent firms choosing to combine with Ascend partner firms to access national-scale resources while preserving the personal client relationships and local identity they built their businesses on.
PP&Co in San Jose, California, has welcomed Ami Shah, CPA, and her team, and LMC in New York City has opened its first Long Island office with the addition of Ricky S. Spike, CPA, and his team. The PP&Co transaction was effective August 1, 2026, and the LMC transaction was effective July 1, 2026. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Ami Shah CPA is a San Jose-based firm specializing in tax planning for high-net-worth individuals and families, with an innovative, holistic approach that seamlessly integrates philanthropy into clients' financial lives. Ami Shah, CPA, Founder and Principal, joins PP&Co as a Partner, together with 12 members of her team, including four team members based in India.
"Ami Shah and her team have built something special: a firm that knows exactly who they serve and how best to serve them," said Phuong Mayer, CEO of PP&Co. "Ami's team also brings a culture that mirrors our own. It is collaborative, high-performing, and genuinely committed to client service and to each other. Together, we'll continue delivering thoughtful, integrated solutions tailored to our clients' evolving needs.”
On their new partnership with PP&Co and Ascend, Ami Shah remarked “When a boutique practice like ours hits the glass ceiling, the path forward usually presents an uncomfortable choice: sell out to a massive corporate consolidator and risk losing the heart and soul of what makes you, you. Ascend and PP&Co offered us a beautifully different path, one that perfectly aligns with our vision of serving with abundance. They handle the capital, the technology, and the back-office heavy lifting behind the scenes. This creates massive time savings for us, ensuring that our local leadership, deep client relationships, and the genuine care we've built for the last two decades stay exactly where they belong: front and center.”
LMC, a leading accounting and advisory firm headquartered in New York City, announced the opening of its first Long Island office and the addition of Ricky S. Spike, CPA, as a Partner. Spike is joined by eight members of his team from Ives, Sultan & Spike CPAs, who will be based in the firm's new Long Island office. Spike and his team provide a comprehensive range of accounting, tax, and advisory services, including tax preparation, tax planning, financial planning, estate planning, and bookkeeping.
"Ricky Spike and his outstanding team bring decades of experience and deep technical expertise that will further strengthen our ability to serve clients," said Lee M. Cohen, CPA, CEO of LMC. "The opening of our first Long Island office and the addition of Ricky and his team represent an important milestone in our growth and our commitment to delivering the expertise and personalized service our clients rely on."
"LMC has built an exceptional reputation for client service, technical excellence, and professional development," said Ricky Spike, CPA. "As an Ascend partner firm, they provide access to advanced technology, collaborative resources, expanded opportunities, and professional advancement for our team. These resources will benefit both our team and our clients while allowing us to continue providing the personalized service our clients have come to expect."
LMC joined Ascend in 2023 with $19M in revenue; since joining, LMC has more than tripled in size, and was named to Accounting Today’s Top 25 Fastest Growing Firms list in 2025 and 2026. PP&Co joined Ascend in 2024 with $21M in revenue; since joining Ascend, PP&Co has doubled in size and was also named to Accounting Today's 2025 Fastest-Growing Firms list. Ascend partner firms gain access to a suite of resources to support business transformation – including shared services infrastructure, proprietary workflow technology, expansion capital, and a community of like-minded partners nationwide.
About Ascend
Ascend is a private equity-backed platform for regional accounting firms, funded by Alpine Investors, that has been steadily expanding its network of partner firms since its founding in January 2023. The platform ranked No. 24 on Accounting Today's 2026 Top 100 Firms list, reporting $590.5 million in revenue at the time and nearly 3,000 employees. Earlier this year, Ascend added Jackson Thornton in Montgomery, Alabama, and William Vaughan Company of Toledo, Ohio, to its partner firm network, and California-based LevitZacks and Georgia-based Wilson Lewis each completed additional add-ons. For more information, visit www.ascendtogether.com.
Contact:
Kate Perko
kate.perko@ascendtogether.com
910-273-3350