Our Team

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Our Team

Team members

Partners and Principals

Wilcox W. K. Choy

Partner

Wils is a Partner in Assurance & Advisory Services and also oversees the division. Prior to joining KMH, Wils was an Audit Partner in Grant Thornton LLP’s Honolulu office and served as their department head.

Experience

More than twenty years of experience in public accounting and auditing and is committed to providing the highest level of service, expertise and dedication to our clients.
Significant experience in the construction, real estate development and hospitality industries. In addition, he has also served clients in the financial services industry, health care, retail, non-profits and governmental agencies.
He specializes in working closely with entrepreneurs and assisting companies with expansion plans and addressing the challenges that accompany rapid growth.

Peter K. Hanashiro

Partner

Peter is a partner in KMH SolutionsSM and also a founding member of KMH LLP. Peter was named the 2005 Pacific Business News (PBN) “Young Business Leader of the Year” for his outstanding business leadership and commitment to the community.

Experience

Over twenty-five years of experience in providing accounting, advisory and consulting services to not-for-profit, financial services, healthcare, real estate, wholesale distribution, retail, government, utility and hospitality clients.
Extensive experience with the DOE and other state government agencies, both from the audit standpoint and from providing risk management, compliance and consulting services.
Oversight responsibility for the planning, execution and report preparation of over 50 Internal Audit projects over the past nine years. Specific projects included an Operational Review of the Research & Evaluation Division of a large private educational trust.
Engagement Partner assisting the ERS with computing pension benefit payments for up to 5,000 retirees in compliance with the ERS Pension Guidelines and State of Hawaii laws, where applicable.
Lead individual responsible for assisting a large healthcare group set-up their Corporate Compliance program. The project included developing numerous policies and procedures and training for the organization.
Relevant experience in providing services with respect to all aspects of the Internal Audit function, including leading the efforts in developing the Risk Assessment & Audit Plan.
Engagement Partner responsible for several SOX engagements including a significant SOX compliance project for a large public company in Hawaii. Helped the company with certain aspects of project management, with primary responsibility for the controls testing for the agribusiness and real estate divisions.

Ross R. Murakami

Partner

Ross is a Partner in KMH SolutionsSM and is one of the founding partners of KMH LLP. Ross has over twenty-five years of experience serving clients in a broad range of industries including real estate, construction, retail and wholesale distribution and insurance. In 2009, Ross was inducted into the Shidler College of Business Administration Hall of Honor, in recognition of his contributions to the community.

Experience

Over 25 years of experience providing audit, accounting and consulting services to organizations based in Hawaii, Pacific Basin and the West Coast.
Assisted government organizations with large-scale business and process improvement projects.
Experienced in providing litigation support services to organizations in Hawaii.
Participated in several public offerings of Hawaii-based companies.
Assisted a number of companies through court ordered or voluntary re-organization efforts.
Experienced in developing creative solutions to address business problems that have no “road map”.
Worked on a number of residential and commercial real estate developments, including economic feasibility assessments of several commercial real estate projects in Hawaii.

Alan Matsui

Partner

Alan is a Partner in the Assurance & Advisory Services division and chairperson of our Recruiting Committee. Alan has over twenty years of audit and general consulting experience which he gained as a previous CFO of a large insurance agency and as a Senior Manager at KPMG.

Experience

Directed all aspects of the Accounting and Information Technology functions for the largest local insurance agency.
Participated with Senior Management to develop and implement strategic objectives of the Company.
Designed and implemented various business process improvement initiatives.
Significant experience in providing assurance services to clients in various industries including insurance, healthcare and hospitality.

Jill Miura

Partner

Jill is a Partner in the Assurance & Advisory Services division and chairperson of our firm’s Operating Committee. Jill has more than twenty years of experience serving clients primarily in the insurance and education industries.

Experience

Manages all aspects of financial audits including planning, resource management, financial reporting and formal communication with client management and boards of directors.
Private industry experience in providing management services to Hawaii captive insurance companies including, but not limited to, maintenance of the accounting records, preparation of the financial statements, regulatory compliance and coordination of all service providers involved with the individual captives.
Assisted a variety of companies in the formation of new captive insurance companies.

Deanna C. Awa

Principal

Deanna is a Managing Principal in our Tax Compliance & Business Advisory Services division. Prior to joining KMH, Deanna was a Manager in the Honolulu office of Arthur Andersen LLP.

Experience

Extensive experience in providing a variety of tax services to multi-location and private companies.
Developed tax alternatives for a complex group of C corporations and partnerships involved in liquidation.
Significant experience in the areas of corporate and flow through entities including S Corporations, partnerships and LLCs with an emphasis on real estate, hospitality and property management operations.
Deanna has worked closely with a variety of clients representing non-profits, individuals and closely held businesses.

Robin Freitas

Principal

Robin is a Principal in the Assurance & Advisory Services division and has significant experience serving clients in industries such as government, not-for-profit and construction. Prior to joining KMH, Robin worked for Arthur Andersen LLP for four years.

Experience

Over 15 years of experience in providing accounting and advisory services to government, not-for-profit, real estate and retail entities.
Experienced with large and small companies operating in a variety of industries.
Experience assisting numerous companies to improve operations, establish accounting policies and resolve internal control issues.
Extensive experience in all aspects of financial reporting, process analysis and internal control evaluation.

James Nakayama

Principal

James is a Principal in our Assurance & Advisory Services division and chairperson of our firm’s Resource Committee. Prior to joining KMH, James was a Manager with Arthur Andersen LLP.

Experience

Experience with large and small companies operating in a variety of industries.
Assisted with various rate case filings with the PUC.
Involved in the outsourcing of the internal audit function of a large Hawaii institution.
Significant experience in providing accounting and advisory services to insurance, real estate, utility (water carriers) and retail entities.

Team members

Directors

Kim Teruya

Director, KMH Assurance & Advisory Services

Kim is a Director with our KMH Assurance & Advisory Services division and has more than 15 years of experience serving clients primarily in the insurance and not-for-profit industries.

Experience

Experience providing audit services to clients in the insurance, not-for-profit, healthcare and retail industries
Manages all aspects of financial audits including planning, resource management, financial reporting and formal communications with client management and boards of directors

Danielle Harano

Director, KMH Tax Compliance & Advisory Services

Danielle is a Director in our KMH Tax Compliance & Advisory Services division. Danielle began her public accounting career in 2007 in the Honolulu office of KMH LLP. She has over 15 years of tax experience in public accounting.

Experience

Experience in the areas of corporate and consolidated income taxes, as well as flow through entities including S Corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies.
Provided tax services for clients with investments in multiple states
Handled clients in various industries including real estate, hospitality, and construction.

Chris Cassidy

Director, KMH Tax Compliance & Advisory Services

Chris is a Director in our Tax Compliance & Advisory Services division. Prior to joining KMH in 2018, Chris worked with an RSM US Alliance member firm serving a wide variety of clients in strategic tax planning, compliance reporting and consulting. In his career, he was worked with clients in many industries including manufacturing, healthcare, closely held businesses, as well as working with high net worth families, estates and trusts, multi state income tax filings and pass through entities.

Experience

Over 10 years of experience providing tax planning and consulting services to high net worth
individuals and closely held businesses.
Represents business and individual clients before the IRS and state tax authorities regarding a
variety of income tax examinations.
Consulting with clients to provide tax efficient structuring for ownership transfers, M&A
transactions, and wealth transfers including estate tax minimization.

Duane Akamine

Director, KMH Tax Compliance & Advisory Services

Duane is a Director in our KMH Tax Compliance & Advisory Services division. Duane has over 10 years of experience in public accounting and consulting with a variety of clients on tax and business issues. Duane started his career as an intern at KMH LLP in 2007 and then acquired a variety of experience with a big four firm and another local firm here in Hawaii, before returning to KMH.

Experience

Experience in the areas of corporate and consolidated income taxes, as well as flow through entities including S Corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies.
Provided tax services for clients with investments in multiple states
Handled clients in various industries including manufacturing, real estate, hospitality, and construction.
Co-Author Taxes of Hawaii

Team members