Reema Patel, CPA, CFP®

Trust and patience are guiding principles when Reema Patel CPA, CFP® works with clients. She enjoys developing a good rapport with clients and understands being approachable is key to achieving that goal. Finances, especially tax and financial planning, can be complicated, so Reema establishes trust from day one to understand what clients may be struggling with or looking to achieve, and works to help them understand why she recommends a particular strategy or action.

A partner at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM), Reema draws on more than 10 years of experience in public accounting to support clients in the automotive dealership, not-for-profit, and professional services industries with tax planning and compliance, research, audit and assurance, reviews, compilations, and employee benefit plan services to help individuals and businesses pursue their goals.

Reema is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and often provides consulting and recommendations on investment allocations and management, retirement strategies, and trust and estate planning for individuals.

Among her various leadership roles, Reema is a co-director of D-PATH, CBM’s diversity and inclusion initiative that provides leadership and business development, networking, and empowerment programming for women and minority professionals throughout the firm.

She was also central in helping CBM develop a business plan to deliver financial planning services to Generation X and Y professionals, thereby contributing to a new client model for the future of the firm. Her leadership efforts are supported by graduation from The Greater Washington Society of CPAs’ Margaret De Boe Leadership Development program and participating in Upstream Academy’s Emerging Leaders Academy to enhance her management development, communication and leadership talents.

Reema’s proficiency for reading financial statements and tax returns transfers to her personal life, where she enjoys spending time with a good book, especially fantasy (the Harry Potter series is her favorite.) Listening to film scores helps her escape, and her love of the fantasy genre translates to her favorite soundtrack – The Lord of the Rings, even though John Williams, her go-to composer, didn’t write it. The self-proclaimed foodie also enjoys cooking, especially vegetarian meals, and testing every new recipe she can to try new things.