WHO WE ARE

Founded in 1998, Gewarges & Associates, Inc. is a full service accounting and consulting firm that provides quality personalized attention and resources to companies of all sizes, as well as to individuals. We help our clients gain the advantage by offering value added services and innovative, yet practical, solutions that assist them in addressing and solving their business, tax and accounting challenges.

Our tax preparation, tax consultation, outsourced accounting, financial statement preparation, and transfer pricing services provide value to our clients by allowing them to focus on their business while we tend to their accounting and tax matters. Our prompt, attentive work is catered to our clients needs, whether they are a start-up, publicly traded company or an individual -- a distinction in which we take great pride.

Gewarges & Associates
320 W. Ohio Street, Suite 3W
Chicago, Illinois 60654
(312) 214-0440
(312) 896-5740 facsimile
noel@gewarges.com

BIOS

Gewarges & Associates is led by three partners with various backgrounds in public accounting. Their collective experiences enable them to provide the service and knowledge expected of a large public accounting firm. The three partners are:

Noel A. Gewarges, CPA, MST: Partner

Noel founded Gewarges & Associates in 1998. From 1989-1997, he worked in the Arthur Andersen Tax Group, where he was a tax manager dealing with various types of companies assisting in the tax consulting, advisory and preparation services. Noel has extensive experience in all types of corporate, partnership and individual income tax planning and preparation, structuring and restructuring areas, as well as CFO experience. He has worked with clients in the manufacturing, retail, distribution, professional services, real estate and construction sectors, ranging in size from closely held family operations to public corporations, as well as domestic and multinational operations. Noel has a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago; a Master's in Taxation from DePaul University and is a Certified Public Accountant. Noel also advises "Play for Peace", a not-for-profit organization that attempts to bridge the racial barriers for children.

Shelly N. Shannon, CPA: Partner

Shelly joined Gewarges & Associates in 2002 and manages the firm's employee benefit plan financial statement preparation practice that she developed. This practice serves several of Chicago's large public companies and covers all types of plans such as, 401(k)'s, pensions, and health and welfare plans. In addition, Shelly serves or has served as controller to some of the firm's investment banking and advisory clients and assists in the preparation of several partnership and individual tax returns. Prior to joining the firm, Shelly worked at Arthur Andersen from 1993-2002 in the Audit Practice as a manager. At Arthur Andersen she worked with clients in the financial services industry, specifically banking and asset management and alternative investment products. Her experience included auditing hedge funds, private equity funds, and investment partnerships, both domestic and off-shore, with various ranges of assets under management, as well as employee benefit plan ERISA audits. Shelly has a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Purdue University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Jeanine M. Forini, CPA, MBA: Partner

Jeanine joined Gewarges & Associates in 2006 with extensive experience in international and domestic tax consulting, international transfer pricing, financial reporting, and FIN 48 and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Jeanine began her career in the Arthur Andersen Tax Group assisting corporate, partnership, and individual clients with tax consulting, advisory, and compliance services. Prior to joining Gewarges and Associates, she worked at FMC Corporation and FMC Technologies, Inc. for 9 years. There she was responsible for international tax planning, reviewing and restructuring international transfer pricing policies, financial analysis and reporting, and project management for domestic and foreign subsidiaries. At Gewarges & Associates, she provides tax and financial accounting services for clients ranging from closely-held partnerships to publicly traded multinational corporations. The projects she has completed include domestic and international tax compliance and planning, deferred tax analysis and reporting, foreign tax credit compliance and planning, transfer pricing documentation and policy analysis, foreign transfer pricing audit assistance, and FIN 48 implementation for international operations. She also currently acts as controller for a local investment banking firm. Jeanine holds a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University. She is also a Certified Public Accountant.

SERVICES

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING SERVICES

We help facilitate your accounting operations by analyzing your business activities and providing financial reporting services. Our services will help you control your costs, highlight inefficiencies, and provide solutions to improve your overall business operations. The services we provide include:

Long-term or permanent outsourcing services for part-time, in-house accounting functions, such as CFO and controller positions
On-demand accounting assistance for temporary/seasonal work and projects
Financial statement preparation, including a specialty practice in employee benefit plans
Monthly compilations and financial reporting
Business operations reviews
Budgeting and accounting restructuring assistance
Periodic partnership allocations; maintenance of book and tax capital accounts

TAX ACCOUNTING SERVICES

We help reduce the administrative burden related to your tax function by preparing all business and personal income tax returns. We also analyze tax savings and compliance strategies. Our tax services will help you control costs and streamline your tax function. The services we provide include:

Preparation of federal and state income tax returns for businesses and individuals
Research and consultation in all areas of domestic and international corporate, partnership, LLC and individual taxation
Assistance in restructuring issues, including stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, partnership transfers and terminations, and various reorganizations of business operations
Operation as the "in house" tax department and perform all necessary tax services
Assistance with IRS and state income tax audits
Planning for business and individual tax matters and tax minimizing strategies
Transfer pricing services, including development of a transfer pricing policy or review of current policies for areas of modification and improvement to maximize income tax benefits internationally
International tax planning services, including review of current structure and document options, as well as advice on international structuring and restructuring matters