West Palm Beach March 2026

A s a Partner at CohnReznick and Office Managing Partner of the firm’s South Florida market, Brett Burgan has spent his career guiding clients and teams through moments of uncertainty, transition, and growth. In fact, in an industry often defined by complexity, Burgan believes the most effective leaders are those who can simplify, focus, and bring people along with them. “I think it’s really providing clarity,” Burgan said. “When things get complex and things get difficult, I try not to outsmart myself. If we’re laser-focused on just a couple of things we want to accomplish, everyone’s clear on what we’re trying to do. Everyone feels part of the plan.” That philosophy has served him well, as both the accounting profession and the South Florida business landscape have undergone rapid transformation. Burgan’s professional journey began in forensic accounting, litigation support, and expert witness work, an area that demands precision, credibility, and trust. He joined Daszkal Bolton in 2005, a South Florida firm founded in 1992 by Michael Daszkal and Jeff Bolton. “My background’s always been forensic accounting,” Burgan explained. “A lot of expert witness testimony and various litigation in court.” As the firm grew alongside its clients, Burgan recognized an opportunity—and a need—to expand beyond traditional accounting and tax services. “As the firm grew with our clients, we really needed to offer advisory services,” he said. When the partner he worked for left the firm, Burgan was asked to build out that advisory platform. What followed was the development of a robust practice that included transaction advisory, valuation, forensic accounting, and digital advisory services. One particularly forward-looking move came in 2015, when Burgan launched a specialty focused on representation and warranty insurance for mergers and acquisitions. “We saw it was going to be a really popular product. It changed the way deals were done.” The service reduced the need for large escrow holds and helped sellers move forward with greater certainty, an innovation that gave Burgan and his team a national presence. “Then, after 30 years in the South Florida market, we had a need to scale and needed more resources to do so,” Burgan said. That process ultimately led to a combination with CohnReznick in 2023. “What really stood out were the national capabilities combined with an entrepreneurial culture,” Burgan explained. “We wanted a firm that had depth of services and scope but still felt like a small firm culturally.” The combination elevated CohnReznick’s presence in Florida and positioned the firm as a major regional player. Burgan, who had already built a strong advisory platform, was named Office Managing Partner of South Florida and given expanded leadership responsibilities within the advisory practice. Today, CohnReznick offers a broad suite of services, including accounting, tax compliance, transaction advisory, litigation support, restructuring, project finance, government consulting, and outsourced CFO services. “Our clients are mostly middle-market businesses,” Burgan said. “High-net- worth entrepreneurs, family offices, and private equity.” The firm serves clients across Florida, with offices in Miami, Boca Raton, Jupiter, Sunrise, Tampa, and Tallahassee. In March 2025, CohnReznick received a strategic growth investment from Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP (“Apax”). “This investment is critical to accelerating CohnReznick’s growth strategy, with a continued focus on delivering best- in-class client solutions and creating opportunities for our people.” In a firm with a significant national footprint, Burgan emphasizes that CohnReznick’s success in South Florida is built on long-standing local relationships. “We have 30-year relationships in this community,” he said. “The leadership team is here. That’s the difference.” The firm is active in the community, working with local chambers, nonprofits, and organizations such as the YMCA and Boca Raton Regional Hospital. “This is a relationship business,” Burgan added. “We’ve grown with our clients through a lot of inflection points—ups and downs in the economy.” In fact, he sees the firm as a connector as much as an advisor. “If one of our clients is struggling with something, we probably know someone they should be talking to. That’s a large part of what I do.” Burgan’s leadership values center on transparency, accountability, and focus. “Transparency is big,” he said. “Transparency and accountability. We hold ourselves to high standards and high levels of client service.” He believes people should never be surprised by expectations. “No one should ever feel surprised at the end of the day that they weren’t doing what they were supposed to be doing.” Leadership, he adds, is demonstrated through action. “Lead by example. Do the right thing.” As CohnReznick continues to expand its footprint in Florida and beyond, Burgan remains focused on what brought him here in the first place: clarity, relationships, and people. “My goal is to help our teams and clients cut through complexity with clarity," Burgan said. “Because when people understand their path, they make better decisions and build stronger businesses.” M A R C H 2 0 2 6 | W E S T PA L M B E A C H 13