Leaders Are Rethinking What They Need from Advisors. LBMC’s National Recognition Reflects Why
Ranked Among Top 35 U.S. Accounting Firms, Named to USA Today’s Most Recommended Tax Firms, Earns Third Consecutive ClearlyRated Client Satisfaction Award, and #1 Technology Services Firm
NASHVILLE, TN, April 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Private equity capital is moving again. AI adoption is accelerating faster than most finance teams’ ability to evaluate it. And regulatory complexity across tax, healthcare, and multi-state operations have moved from a compliance exercise to a board-level priority.
In this environment, leaders aren’t just looking for service providers; they are prioritizing advisors who are already embedded in the business to help them navigate growth, transactions, and operational complexity.
As advisory relationships evolve nationwide, that trend serves as the strategic direction backdrop for LBMC and is reflected in the firm’s national recognition. Accounting Today has ranked LBMC among the Top 35 accounting firms in the United States and Top 3 in the Southeast — one of the profession’s most closely watched benchmarks. The firm was also named to USA Today’s America’s Most Recommended Tax Firms list for 2026, ranked #1 on the Nashville Business Journal’s Technology Services Firms list, and earned the ClearlyRated Best of Accounting Award for the third consecutive year — based entirely on client satisfaction.
"Today's leaders are making decisions in an environment defined by complexity and speed," said Jim Meade, CEO and Managing Shareholder of LBMC. "They want advisors who understand their business before the moment of urgency arrives. These recognitions reflect the trust clients place in us and the work we do every day to earn it."
What LBMC Is Seeing Across Its Client Base
LBMC's work across healthcare, manufacturing, technology and the broader middle market points to the evolving role of the advisor, one that spans transaction readiness, tax strategy, technology enablement and operational performance.
In healthcare, margin compression and evolving reimbursement models are pushing CFOs to integrate financial strategy and operational performance in ways that weren't common five years ago. The advisory relationship is increasingly expected to span both.
In manufacturing, companies are navigating capital investment decisions around automation and AI while managing supply chain volatility and workforce cost pressures simultaneously. Leaders who have strong financial infrastructure are making those decisions faster and with more confidence.
"But value creation isn't just about reacting faster; it's about aligning people, technology, and operations so the business can execute with clarity," said Aaron Hale, LBMC Audit Shareholder and Technology Industry Leader.
Across the middle market broadly, transaction activity is resuming and the companies positioned to move are those that have spent the past few years building clean reporting, strong compliance postures, and operational clarity.
Having advised on approximately 150 middle market transactions in the past year, LBMC brings a ground-level view of what separates companies that are prepared to move from those that are not, particularly in a market where private equity expectations, capital deployment, and execution timelines continue to tighten.
“The advisory role has expanded because it had to,” said Brad Bonde, LBMC Shareholder, Transaction Advisory Services and Healthcare Core Team Leader. “These companies are navigating real complexity —building teams, hitting growth targets, managing through transitions, and they need people in the room who are genuinely invested in the outcome, not just the deliverable. That's a different kind of partnership. It starts before the deal closes, and it evolves with the company as the challenges do. You're in the weeds together. When it works, it's not because the strategy was perfect on paper; it's because the relationship was strong enough to adapt when it wasn't.”
Tax Strategy and Technology: Two Areas Redefining the Advisory Mandate
As tax strategy becomes more integrated with business planning and technology decisions increasingly shape financial outcomes, these companies are placing greater value on advisors who can connect these functions into a cohesive growth strategy. Federal, state, and international tax considerations now run through transaction structuring, growth decisions, and capital events in ways that extend well beyond year-end engagement.
LBMC's #1 ranking among technology services firms reflects a practice built around the questions leaders are actually asking: how to implement AI responsibly, how to strengthen cybersecurity posture without disrupting operations, and how to connect technology investment to measurable financial outcomes.
"Technology decisions today influence every part of the business," Meade said. "Our role is helping leaders connect technology investment with financial strategy, operational performance, and long-term growth."
LBMC publishes annual business outlook insights across healthcare, manufacturing, and the broader middle market. To learn more about LBMC’s advisory, tax, audit, and technology services and how the firm supports companies navigating growth, transactions, and transformation visit lbmc.com.
About LBMC
LBMC is one of the Southeast’s largest accounting and business consulting firms and a nationally recognized top 40 firm serving more than 11,000 clients with diverse needs across a spectrum of industries. Primary client groups include privately-owned and private-equity-backed middle market companies in the healthcare, manufacturing/distribution, real estate, and technology spaces. LBMC leverages advanced business intelligence and AI technologies to drive growth, efficiency, and strategic insights for our clients. Founded in 1984 as a traditional accounting firm, LBMC today is an industry leader in audit, tax, advisory, technology, human resources, and wealth advisory services for businesses and individuals. LBMC has more than 1,000 team members, with offices in Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Memphis, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Charlotte, North Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Chennai, India (a subsidiary of LBMC); and a dedicated Remote Office supporting clients nationwide. For more information on LBMC’s experts and comprehensive services, visit our website or call 615-377-4600. Discover career opportunities and learn more about how LBMC’s services and culture can support your business goals. Connect with us on LinkedIn for the latest insights on talent, client engagement, and business growth.
Attachment
Lisa Namm LBMC 6153092356 lisa.namm@lbmc.com
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
