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Bradley Odegard
Before becoming a lawyer, Brad had a successful career as an accountant, businessman, and consultant. As Chief Financial Officer of The Peters Corporation, a business comprised of 88 entities with total assets of over $350 million dollars, Brad oversaw all financial operations of one of the largest companies in New Mexico for 20 years. He has worked as an interim CFO for tech startups, provided forensic accounting and litigation support for various attorneys, and experienced the intensity of a “Big 8” accounting firm.
Throughout his career, Brad has been both client and counsel of legal services, so he truly understands what it’s like to be in his client’s position. Brad works diligently to protect the rights of those who have come into conflict with partners, are entrenched in battles with big businesses, or have been ousted from high-value families.
As the son of a United States Airforce strategist who served in Korea and Vietnam, Brad’s childhood was spent on military bases in Germany, Greece, and the Philipines. These circumstances taught him to bring levity to even the most intense situations. Now, nothing brings Brad more joy than earning a laugh — he’s quick to crack jokes, and his dynamic wit is a testament to his intelligence. When he’s not working, Brad spends time with his lovely wife in their mountain home on the Paa Ko Golf Course and reads a plethora of history and science fiction.
Brad’s Journey
As a young man with a fresh BS in business administration, Brad was faced with a choice: pursue his dream of going to law school (despite the additional expense of time and money), or go to work and begin a career as a businessman. Brad chose the latter, took the CPA exam, and went to work at the “Big 8” accounting firm, Arthur Andersen, in Arizona before transferring to a budding office in New Mexico. He worked his way up the corporate accounting ladder, eventually transferring to Ernst and Young before being recruited by one of his prior clients to become CFO and Treasurer of The Peters Corporation, in 1990.
There, Brad oversaw all financing and banking relationships, treasury functions, management, accounting, budgeting, insurance, personnel, legal, tax, and information technology. He evaluated and prepared financial modeling and pro-forma financial statements for new investment opportunities, including gaming operations, multi-use developments, and student housing projects. When he left in 2010, The Peters Corporation had to hire two executives to fulfill his role.
Brad then began his private practice, providing forensic accounting, litigation support, and interim CFO services for a wide variety of clients ranging from boutique trust litigation attorneys to supercomputing technology startups.
As the end of the decade approached, Brad did what few successful businessmen would do and chose to pursue his longtime dream of becoming an attorney. He easily met the requirements and enrolled at the University of New Mexico Law School so that he could provide elite business and tax-oriented legal services throughout the Southwest.
Brad’s Background
Early Education
University of Arizona
- Bradley received his BS in Business Administration from the University of Arizona. After toying with the idea of becoming a nuclear engineer, he decided to major in accounting. Bradley fenced collegially, competing at the highest level in the Western Region Division 2 NCAA tournament.
Certified Public Accountant
- Passed on the first attempt when only 2% of first-time examinees passed all four parts.
Public Accounting
Arthur Andersen
- Originally hired at the Phoenix office, but was transferred to the brand new Albuquerque office after 18 months. The start-up office provided a unique opportunity to experience a wide range of clients. He provided tax and consulting services to public and private companies in an array of industries, including health care, oil and gas, insurance, and real estate.
- He served as a member of the Firm-wide Healthcare Team, with an emphasis on the 1986 tax law changes regarding tax-exempt bonds and section 168(f) computations. He also served as a member of the State and Local Team as the New Mexico coordinator. He demonstrated exceptional knowledge of the state tax structure of New Mexico, including experience representing clients in audits and protests.
Ernst & Young
- Here his responsibilities included individual accounts, estates, trusts, and businesses in a variety of industries.
- Bradley gained extensive legal experience serving as an Expert Witness in the Estate of Coe when E&Y was hired to recreate ten years of trust records in accordance with the Uniform Division of Principal and Income Act
Chief Financial Officer
The Peters Corporation
- The Peters Corporation and its affiliates is a family-owned, diversified holding company owning interests in art galleries, art investment companies, real estate operations, real estate development, an elk ranch, restaurants, and investing activities consisting of 88 subsidiary companies. The Gerald Peters Gallery is one of the largest art galleries in the United States in both size and volume (annual sales ranged between $60 million and $120 million), with locations in Santa Fe and New York City.
- While at The Peters Corporation, Brad was significantly involved in the internal company valuation of Banquest, First National Bank of Santa Fe. The company owned a 3% minority interest that resulted in a dissenter’s action. Brad served as a fact witness in that case. In addition, he negotiated redemption of a 29% minority investment in a local hospitality company; reformatted the balance sheet through refinancing activities to align debt from short-term variable rate financing to long-term fixed-rate structures, bringing equilibrium between asset and debt structures; managed interest rate volatility through the use of collars, caps, and swaps; and instituted business segment reporting and operating unit accountability.
- The Peters Corporation had its own in-house legal counsel that worked with and reported to the Chief Financial Officer. Brad worked with legal counsel on all aspects of business transactions, including sales of goods, financing transactions, seller financing, entity structuring and litigation.
Stanford Executive Program
- As CFO for The Peters Corporation, Brad went to the Stanford Executive Program, a 9-week intensive leadership program exclusively available to executives sponsored by their companies.
Private Practice
Bradley M Odegard, CPA, LLC.
- Brad interim and temporary CFO services for clients ranging from technology startup companies to light manufacturing. Santa Fe Digital Media, Noribachi, Visible Light Solar Technologies, Qnuru, Solar Distinction, Darrel Julian Construction, Pendulum LLC, and Oreion Motors LLC. Interim engagements include employment with Accounting Principals and Moss Adams.
Brad provided litigation support and forensic accounting for a variety of legal professionals. His clients included Mucci Law Firm, a boutique trust and estate litigation firm, and French Law Firm lead by former judge of New Mexico Court of Appeals, Stephen French. Litigation engagements include Albin v. DPS and Jemez Mountain School District v. Borrego
Law School
University of New Mexico School of Law, Juris Doctorate Candidate
- Brad completed his legal education in 2.5 years. In school, his studies focused on trust and estate complexities and litigation-oriented classes.
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Brad’s Partners
Brad is a partner at Sommer Udall, a business, tax, estate and trust law firm based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The firm specializes in complex estate issues, estate planning and administration.
For more information about Sommer Udall and Brad’s partners, visit their website: https://www.sommerudall.com