Our business philosophy is simple...we believe in strong, personal working relationships with clients. We work closly with you to provide us with, as an extension of your management team. This provides us with the insight to respond with timely, innovative, goal-oriented ideas and recommendations.

And that's what our commitment to personal service is all about.

• Mission Statement
  A team of professionals committed to helping our clients succeed in an ever-changing world.
  
  
• Objectivity
  Walthall, Drake & Wallace's professional services are designed to bring a fresh and unbiased view to your situation and needs. We do not sell any products. Our only interest is assisting you with defining and achieving your goals and objectives.
  
  
• Business Sense
  Our professional service representatives are different from the rest. We all have solid business, accounting, and management backgrounds in addition to sound common sense. Our analyses and recommendations will consider not only your needs but what makes sense for you.
  
  
• Special Skills
  The rapidly-changing business world creates a constant need for specialized skills and experience to meet today's hi-tech challenges and demands. We are constantly upgrading our skills and services to support your current and future needs and objectives.
  
  
• Personal Service
  We are at your service whenever you need us. No question is too small, no project too large. We can provide the management decision-making tools you need to monitor your business goals as well as to provide you with information for tax, accounting and other reporting needs.

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) requires all CPA firms to undergo a Public Peer Review by another CPA firm every three years. The AICPA Peer Review Program was put in place to establish a layer of public protection and to improve firms' accounting and auditing practices. The peer review process includes rigorous checks and balances to help assure that accounting firms are strictly adhering to professional standards. It does so by identifying CPA firms that have inadequate systems of quality control, detecting non-performance in accordance with professional standards in all material respects and imposing corrective action to rectify deficiencies.

The Peer Review Report of our practice is referred to as unmodified with no letter of comments, the highest level rating available. Click here to view our most recent Peer Review Report and Acceptance Letter, dated November 14, 2006 and January 26, 2007, respectively.

Our History

Walthall, Drake & Wallace LLP has been a stable firm with a strong client base in Northeast Ohio for over 60 years. The firm has enjoyed a rich history, growing to its current size of approximately 50 people. It has a history of successful mergers, staying consistent with the firms’ growth strategy to provide high quality, cost-effective services. Below is a timeline that shows how the firm has grown and changed over the last 60 years.

• 1944
  • Walthall & Drake is formed
• 1971
  • Founding partner, Orville Walthall retires from Walthall & Drake
• 1975
  • Founding partner, John Drake retires from Walthall & Drake
  • Marty Hrabik, Jr. is admitted as partner of Walthall & Drake
• 1979
  • Rick Nagy is admitted as partner of Tischler, Beard, Wallace & Co.
• 1981
  • Mark Turk is admitted as partner of Walthall & Drake
  • Tony Jelenic is one of the founding partners of Veres & Company
• 1985
  • Tom Scharf is admitted as partner of Walthall & Drake
  • Chuck Battiato, Jr. is admitted as partner of Walthall & Drake
  • Dick Cause is admitted as partner of Walthall & Drake
• 1994
  • Jim Sprague is admitted as partner of Tischler, Beard, Wallace & Co.
• 1997
  • Dan Holben is admitted as partner of Walthall & Drake
  • Rick Lash is admitted as partner of Walthall & Drake
• 1999
  • Tischler, Beard, Wallace & Co. merges with Walthall & Drake
  • The firm name changes to Walthall, Drake & Wallace LLP (WD&W)
• 2001
  • Swearingen & Swearingen merges with WD&W, establishing a second office in Mentor, Ohio
  • WD&W moves its main office from downtown Cleveland to 6300 Rockside Road in Independence
• 2002
  • Tom Wallace, Jr. retires from WD&W
• 2005
  • Veres & Company merges with WD&W
• 2007
  • Raymond G. Onderisin is admitted as partner of WD&W
  • Kenneth A. Stefanski is admitted as partner of WD&W