BBD is pleased to announce that James S. Lelko, CPA, MST has joined BBD's Investment Management Tax Group as a director.
The addition of experienced talent, like Jim Lelko, is integral to BBD’s unique vision for serving the industry. Unlike our competitors, BBD is structured to enable our most senior industry experts to serve our clients as hands-on, collaborative partners. Lelko joins an already deep bench of investment management audit and tax experts at BBD who are deeply committed to delivering an unmatched client experience.
Jim brings more than 30 years of tax experience within the investment management industry to BBD, including more than a decade as a tax partner within a Big Four firm.
He maintains significant expertise with the issues and trends related to investment company taxation, including for:
- Mutual funds
- Exchange-traded funds
- Hedge funds
- Cayman Islands registered funds
- Private equity funds
- Venture capital funds
As a partner within a Big Four accounting firm, Jim managed a team of 140 tax professionals.
Jim’s experience within the investment management industry also includes:
- Determining year-end distribution requirements for regulated investment companies.
- Developing offshore fund structures for private investment fund sponsors
- Speaking at various conferences on tax-efficient investing for private funds
- Effectively identifying connected income issues for non-U.S. investment platforms
- Working with the IRS on tax controversies and other audit matters for private investment funds
- U.S. tax reporting for non-U.S. investment platforms
Jim is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society. He is a graduate of Cleveland State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in finance. He also earned a Master of Science degree in taxation from Northeastern University.