Barely out of the winter doldrums, Rhode Islanders woke up one March day in 2016 to find that the state had a new tourism slogan – Rhode Island: Cooler & Warmer. And then the fun began.
Immediately disliked, the slogan and its accompanying new state logo (which PBN used on the cover of this Book of Lists) were subjected to ridicule. The rollout included a video lauding the state’s many opportunities for enjoyment, one of which apparently is skateboarding along the waterfront of Reykjavik, Iceland. The refurbished state tourism website included praise for restaurants in … Massachusetts. It was not a pretty few weeks.
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The woman charged with overseeing the rollout of the new marketing campaign was forced to resign, while the state encouraged everyone to make use of the new logo – minus the slogan – in their own marketing efforts. By the summer, the state was reporting increased interest in Rhode Island as a destination.
On a totally different front, Rhode Island businesses spent much of the year trying to understand new federal rules on overtime pay instituted by the Obama administration. But after the presidential election, a federal judge in Texas blocked the implementation of the policy, which was set to go into effect on Dec. 1. It is unclear when or if the change will happen, although Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co. Ltd.’s Norman LeBlanc, reached after the decision, said that “nothing has changed, it’s just been delayed.”
Accounting Today recognized four local accounting firms last year, starting in March with naming BlumShapiro and KLR to its 2016 Top 100 firms list (they were Nos. 53 and 92, respectively). DiSanto Priest & Co. was also recognized among the top 18 New England firms.
In August, Accounting Today named Sansiveri, Kimball & Co. LLP one of the best accounting firms to work for, the fourth consecutive year the firm was so recognized.
The big merger news for 2016 was the September absorption of local firm LGC+D LLP by New York-based Citrin Cooperman, making the Providence-based group now part of a top 25 accountancy in the United States, according to Inside Public Accounting.
Accounting firms played a major role in Providence Business News’ Best Places To Work competition in 2016, with CBIZ Tofias joining DiSanto Priest, KLR and Sansiveri as an honoree of the annual program.
But represented to an even greater degree in the yearly program, which recognizes companies that put employee-friendly policies in place and then back them up with faithful implementation, were nine local law firms – Barton Gilman LLP, Blish & Cavanagh LLP, Cameron & Mittleman LLP, Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick Ltd., DarrowEverett LLP, Hinckley Allen & Snyder LLP, Marasco & Nesselbush LLP, Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP and Robinson & Cole.
But in contrast to the consolidation that has been happening over the last decade in accounting firms, the legal profession in Rhode Island is seeing large firms disappearing. Twenty-five years ago the largest law firm in Rhode Island had 171 local attorneys, according to PBN research. This year the largest firm has 62 attorneys. It looks like the Great Recession tightened corporate spending habits, forcing law firms to do more with less and improve customer service. That would seem to be good advice for any professional-service firm, or state agency. •
