For Tokarz, accounting and law add up to success

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After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, John Tokarz decided to pursue a career in accounting.

But after a while, Tokarz found himself getting bogged down in numbers and wanted something more.

As an accountant, “I saw firsthand how clients viewed their attorneys — they’d ask the accountant what the numbers meant, but they’d ask the attorney how he or she would act in a particular situation, how to solve the problem the numbers were presenting,” Tokarz said.

“You can know the numbers or the law inside and out, but at the end of the day, clients want practical advice from someone they trust. This is a special relationship and one that seemed particularly rewarding to me when I decided to pursue a career in the field of law.”

Tokarz graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School and got a job at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren. In his role, he provides a wide range of support to clients with matters involving mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, divestures and securities offerings.

Many of his clients are family-owned businesses, and Tokarz helps steer owners through the complexities of financial analysis and corporate strategy while serving as a trusted adviser.

“He is an incredibly bright attorney who establishes immediate rapport with his clients,” said Jerome Janzer, Reinhart CEO. “He draws on exceptional judgement as well as the ability to coordinate complicated scenarios with multiple elements in order to get the deal done efficiently and effectively.”

Like many young professionals, Tokarz said the toughest part of his job is never truly being away from it.

“With technology the way it is, I’m always reachable because clients expect me to always be reachable,” he said. “So, vacations and time away from the office are oftentimes spent answering emails, taking calls or trying to close a deal. I give my wife and kids a lot of credit for putting up with it.”

When he does get some downtime, Tokarz enjoys spending time with family, whether that’s by watching his kids play baseball or just goofing around in the backyard at home.

“I am also a huge sports fan and especially love traveling all over the country to new stadiums to watch my favorite teams,” he said. “It’s been great as my sons have gotten older to be able to take them along with me.”