Managing Partner
I am the managing partner for the Accounting & Financial Consulting Firm Valevity LLC, located in the Beautiful Flatiron~Chelsea District of Manhattan. Known to my friends & clients as "Val" I've been in the Entertainment Business specializing in Copyright Infringement Cases & Contractual Music Film & Television Royalties for over 25 years. I have overseen & prepared Record Royalty Contracts for Madonna, Beyonce, Rihanna, & Blondie among many other prominent Artists. My educational journey started at UC Berkeley where I received my A.A.~Liberal Arts Degree & B.S. in Business Law at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Later a Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. After University. I started in the Music Royalty Accounting Department at Capital Records in Hollywood. I had the privilege to work on The Beatles recording royalties & John Lennon's solo records. After Capital I was hired by Donald T. Sterling, Esq. Owner of The Clippers Professional Basketball Team to head up his Accounting Department. Sterling just acquired the team for 12.5 Million. I advised Mr. Sterling on a daily basis of all phases of his Real Estate Properties. I was in charge of all accounting details for Sterling's Real Estate Holdings, 42 apartment buildings in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica & Malibu, Wanting to advance my career in Film & T.V. Sterling gave me an excellent recommendation at American Broadcasting Company. I landed a position as a Production Auditor in the Film & TV Division Hollywood, CA. Some of the most memorable accounts being: 'Three's Company 'Dynasty' 'T.J. Hooker' 'That's Incredible' & 'The Love Boat'. Responsibilities included overseeing & approving budgets as well as being the liaison between the Business Affairs Team & Network. After ABC I returned to NYC & joined the Entertainment Law Firm Sargoy, Stein & Hanft As part of their Production Audit team we traveled around the country & abroad recouping monies owed to the eight major motion picture studios The Firm represented. After much negotiations I moved to Orlando, FL & became the Business Administrator of the Marketing Department of the then New Disney-MGM Studio. Four years of that weird Mouse was enough for me. I returned to NYC I was hired by music industry icon Bert Padell as Sr. Music Royalty Supervisor. Bert a noted business manager, CPA & entertainment lawyer whose client list ranged from Joe DiMaggio, Luther Vandross, Faye Dunaway, Madonna, Notorious B.I.G., Run-D.M.C., Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears, Blondie, Talking Heads, The Kinks & Pink Floyd. Recently this year I was nominated by The National Society of Accountants as Member of the Month for my exemplary participation in the Society’s programs and interaction with headquarters staff have distinguished myself as an ideal member of the Society. Entertainment Accounting sounds like fun & exciting & many aspects this is true but similar accounting principals apply when you are involved in deal memos, budgeting, cost reporting, cash flow, tax credits, contracts, business affairs, financing as well as the overall project's operation. Aside from my association with my Accounting practice my other enjoyment is Acting. When you envision your Accountant you probably don’t imagine someone reading scripts, making appearances on TV & Feature Films or shaking hands with celebs, artists, directors, & producers. I have appeared on The Irishman, Billions, City on A Hill, Succession, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to name a few. My philosophy has always been, "Do what you Love & Love what you Do & you'll never work a day in your life..."
