RALEIGH, N.C. (November 8, 2011) ─ Hughes Pittman & Gupton, LLP (www.hpg.com), one of the largest CPA firms headquartered and staffed in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, announces today that partner Brooks Malone served as an expert panelist for the Southeast Angel Capital Association Regional Meeting, held Oct. 18-19. Malone joined other industry professionals in discussing exit transactions, trends and strategies.

“When dealing with exits, many people know when to involve a lawyer in the process, but oftentimes they underestimate the importance and timing of calling an accountant into the process,” said Stephen Bollier, panel moderator and CEO of Innovare Capital, LLC. “Brooks’ insight on exits, GAAP revenue and state tax issues was beneficial to attendees, especially small business leaders.”

Malone is a 23-year veteran of public accounting. He joined HPG in 1990 and was named partner in 1997. Malone co-leads the HPG Knowledge-Based Industries practice team, working with investor-backed companies in the technology and life science sectors. He is also the firm’s partner in charge of sales and marketing, as well as recruiting.

"To have a successful exit, it is important to plan ahead and anticipate the due diligence concerns of the buyer,” said Malone. “Buyers scrutinize GAAP revenue to understand and evaluate the revenue stream they are buying. Revenue recognition for technology companies and companies with collaborative agreements is complex. We have also seen a trend of stock acquisitions, which has made multi-state, international tax, sales tax and withholding requirements come under scrutiny."

Held in Charlotte, N.C., HPG served as an event sponsor for the meeting. Professionals from eight states were in attendance. In addition to a panel on exit transactions, the meeting featured discussions on deal trends, managing growth, innovation excellence, managing portfolios and syndication deals.