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Managers
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BS Accounting, 1972, California State University, Long Beach.
Certified, 1974, California State Board of Accountancy.
Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Member, California Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Bernie is the firm’s founding partner, a leader with over thirty years of experience in business management.
While in high school, Bernie was a part-time office assistant for the business management firm Julius Lefkowitz & Co., in Beverly Hills. After graduating from Fairfax High School, he served four years in the U.S. Air Force, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. He went on to earn his degree at California State University Long Beach, and began his professional life with the Big Eight accounting firm Touche Ross, now known as Deloitte. He then moved to the business management firm Bisgeier, Breslauer & Company.
Bernard Gudvi & Co., launched in 1977 at an office on Wilshire and La Cienega, offered business management services to professionals in the music industry. Ten years later, the growing company merged with Zeiderman, Oberman & Co., a business management firm with a national presence.
In 1989, Bernie and a few trusted colleagues established a firm in Sherman Oaks, California. Today, Bernie, along with partners Michael Oppenheim, Bill Braunstein, Jonathan Schwartz, and Nicholas Brown, employ a staff of more than 50 dedicated professionals in a bustling office overlooking the San Fernando Valley.
Bernie’s greatest commitment as a business manager is to his clients. He believes that developing a mutual, trusting relationship with each client is of paramount importance to running a thriving business: “Remember, the client is the reason we all have jobs. Treat them with the utmost respect, be responsible, and be accessible.”
In addition to his work at the firm, Bernie has served on the board of directors for the National Veterans Foundation and Media Arts in the Public Schools. He has been a guest speaker and lecturer for several music industry classes at UCLA and USC. He and his wife, Donna, have two children and three grandchildren.
Graduate, 1982, State University of New York, Buffalo
After receiving an undergraduate degree in accounting at The State
University of New York, Buffalo in 1982, Michael joined Prager
and Fenton, a business management firm in New York City. He
began his career working with musicians as a tour accountant. Michael
moved to Los Angeles, California in 1987 to work as a manager for
Boulevard Management. He rejoined Prager and Fenton in its Los
Angeles office in 1989, playing a key role in growing the firm
from a staff of 14 to more than 50. Michael joined our firm in
1993.
Michael focuses on growth by devoting personal attention to his
clients. He
believes the strength of his business stems from positive personal
relationships combined with solid expertise in the music industry
and business management.
BS, 1976, C.W. Post School of Accountancy
Certified, 1980, California State Board of Accountancy
Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Member, California Society of Certified Public Accountants
Bill grew up in New York City. After he earned his degree, he began his career with a local CPA firm called J. Manning Winikus.
After relocating to Los Angeles, he started The Braunstein Company in 1980. The firm established itself as a leading business management firm for professionals in the entertainment community. Bill and his staff represented production companies, actors, directors, writers, producers and other professionals in all facets of the industry.
The company later expanded into business management of communications companies, including marketing and PR firms. Bill’s financial services included managing corporate sponsorship, online and offline marketing, and public relations. Additionally, Bill specialized in the positioning of the entities for potential merger or acquisition in the public or private sector.
The Braunstein Company merged with GSO in 2003. Today, Bill’s diverse client roster features award-winning actors, writers, producers, and publicists, as well as top-notch production companies.
Bill has created innovative financial structures for various projects and is the trustee and fiduciary of many entities for individuals and companies.
BS, Accounting, San Francisco State University
Certified, Colorado State Board of Accountancy
Member, American Institute of Certified Professional Accountants
For Jonathan, financial management is a passion that runs in the family. A native New Yorker, he grew up in a household of CPAs, and displayed a talent for accounting from a very early age.
After moving to San Francisco, Jonathan joined a public accounting firm, where he mastered a diversity of business skills. In 1995, after several years of intense real-world education, he was invited to work for a business manager in Los Angeles. His unlimited drive and thirst for knowledge quickly earned him the respect of clients and colleagues.
After a financial institution acquired the firm in 1999, Jonathan decided to pursue new opportunities in business management. The first call he made on his job search was to Michael Oppenheim, whom he knew and respected from previous meetings. In February 2000, he joined GSO, and within a few years he became the firm’s youngest partner.
Jonathan’s infectious energy is motivated by a constant desire to improve himself and his business. He is a firm believer in continually educating himself to ensure that he can serve his clients with the most up-to-the-minute financial information. Jonathan is a highly personable individual, who relishes in nurturing mutually rewarding relationships with his diverse roster of powerful clients representing every facet of the entertainment business. He treats his clients as he would treat members of his family -- with the highest level of compassion, candidness, and integrity – and he in turn expects his clients to be proactive and to strive for the same professional standards.
Jonathan’s ultimate goal is to continue building GSO’s reputation as the industry’s number one firm for entertainment professionals, a company that can boast not only the brightest staff and the most talented clients, but also the strongest balance between work life and family life. His devotion to his own family –his wife Meridith and their three children – is the fuel that drives him to professional excellence with his family at GSO.
Jonathan is an avid weight-trainer, softball player, and all-around sports fan. He is a firm believer in alternative medicine and in living a healthy, organic lifestyle. He is also a dedicated philanthropist who serves on the boards of several charitable organizations. His dream is to help all of his clients to lead simple and productive lives in these increasingly complicated and stressful times.
Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Nicholas grew up in Coventry, England, at a time when British rock bands like the Beatles and The Who were beginning to revolutionize popular music around the world. An aspiring accountant with a great affinity for music and the music business, Nicholas realized he had a chance to be part of an electrifying moment in history.
Barely out of his teens, Nicholas started his career in 1968 at Nyman Libson Paul, a financial services firm specializing in the entertainment industry. He apprenticed there for five years while he worked toward his qualification as a Chartered Accountant, the British equivalent of the Certified Public Accountant. During this time, he developed relationships with many of England’s most promising new artists, and established himself as a rising star in his own field.
In the late 1970s, Nicholas moved to Los Angeles in search of new challenges. After a brief sabbatical, he joined the business management firm Gelfand, Rennert, and Feldman in early 1980. Four months later, he returned to England and opened the firm’s new office in London. After nine years, he returned to Gelfand’s Century City office. In June 2008, he became GSO’s newest partner, bringing with him a cohesive staff and a roster of internationally renowned music and film clients.
Nicholas’ business philosophy is rooted in unconditional service to his clients. His objective as a business manager is to conservatively protect his clients’ wealth, giving them absolute assurance that all of their requirements are handled with the utmost attention. He believes that solid business relationships are based on trust, open communication, and a commitment to the highest standards of professional conduct.
As a leader in his field, who has rubbed shoulders with many of the world’s most famous entertainers, Nicholas still has his sights set on new opportunities and challenges. He is eager to further develop his practice, even hoping to expand into the television world. Most of all, he looks forward to continually serving his clients with the same outstanding business ethics and high standards he has always placed on himself.
Nicholas is a lifelong athlete who has completed 18 marathons and continues to exercise several days a week. He is an ardent fan of British soccer (Chelsea is his team of choice). He practices alternative forms of healing like acupuncture and enjoys a mostly organic diet. He loves to travel, particularly to Europe; he returns to England two or three times a year to conduct business, visit with family, and “to keep my British accent alive and well.” He has two sons.
BA History, 1966, California State University, Los Angeles
MA History, 1968, California State University, Los Angeles
MBA Accounting, 1977, California State University, Los Angeles
Certified, 1980, California State Board of Accountancy
Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Member, California Society of Certified Public Accountants
Al grew up in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles in his teens. He was always fascinated with history, and he loved to debate political and social issues. His ability to remember even the smallest details fascinated his friends and family.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from California State University, Los Angeles, Al went on to teach high school history and biology. During this time, he began to study accounting at his father-in-law’s suggestion that he consider a profession which would guarantee his family a strong financial future. He quickly found that tax practice, in particular, suited his detail-oriented personality and allowed him to share his knowledge with clients on an individual basis, just as he had done in the classroom.
After he received his MBA, Al joined the tax department at Arthur Andersen & Co. He spent three years there while he worked toward his CPA certification. In 1983, he joined Arkin, Sneddon & Co. He became Tax and Computer Partner in 1988, and spearheaded the firm’s move into the Digital Age.
In 2000, Al brought his twenty years of tax experience to GSO after hearing about the firm’s solid reputation within the business management community. As Tax Manager, he has overseen the firm’s transition into a paperless office: today, almost all client tax returns are filed electronically. The tax department has also successfully implemented a utility program to improve the efficiency of preparing multi-state returns. Al’s team is dedicated to providing clients with top-notch service.
Al finds his greatest fulfillment as a tax professional is in standing up for taxpayers. He frequently uses his intellect and expertise to appeal his clients’ cases before the Internal Revenue Service and the Franchise Tax Board. His devotion has inspired him to establish his own tax practice, through which he serves small businesses and individuals in his community. He also is active in a program to bring free tax preparation to low-income residents of East Los Angeles each year from February through April. He continues to love teaching, relishing the ability to share his vast expertise with the next generation of accountants.
Al enjoys swimming and reading, is active in his temple, and loves to travel. He and his wife have two grown children.
BS Political Science, 1974, David Lipscomb University (Nashville, TN).
Accounting Certificate, 1979, University of Tennessee at Nashville.
Certified, 1981, Tennessee State Board of Accountancy
Certified, 1983, California State Board of Accountancy
Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Member, California Society of Certified Public Accountants
Jeff grew up in Nashville, TN, a city known for its vibrant musical culture. He was born into a house full of music – his mother was a talented pianist, while his father and his grandfather had been professional musicians. Jeff took up the guitar early in life, and spent much of his childhood playing with various bands. But even at an early age, he understood the uncertainties he would face as an aspiring professional musician. His other talent, accounting, promised him the financial stability to further explore his musical interests.
After graduating from college, Jeff joined the Big Eight accounting firm Price Waterhouse & Co., now known as Pricewaterhouse Coopers. In his three years at the firm, he gained experience in traditional accounting methods. He then moved on to a tax management position at Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co., now known as KPMG.
After another three years, Jeff left Peat Marwick to open his own tax practice in San Diego. During this time, he became interested in business management, and realized that this was a way he could blend his expertise in accounting and tax with his love of music.
In 1995, Jeff moved to Los Angeles and joined the staff of GSO as a business manager specializing in the music industry. Since then, he has been blessed to work with scores of industry legends, including a lifelong musical hero -- Carl Wilson, the original lead guitarist with the Beach Boys. Jeff is proud that his dedication behind the scenes has allowed his gifted clients to flourish creatively, with the knowledge that their financial matters are in secure hands.
As a musician himself, Jeff finds it easy to relate to his clients on a personal level. He has a keen understanding of how to clearly communicate his analytical expertise. He cultivates strong relationships with his clients by respecting them as professionals, by ensuring that he understands their opinions, and by doing all he can to achieve their best financial interests. He feels that his strength as a business manager stems from a thorough mastery of the fundamentals of accounting and tax, combined with his deep fascination with the music industry.
In addition to his work at GSO, Jeff has taught accounting courses at San Diego Mesa College, and music business courses at UCLA Extension. He continues to express his passion for music with his rock band, Surf Asylum, which performs frequently in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley
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