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Syed Farooq, CPA

Director, Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC
Director, Cohen & Company, Ltd.

Contact Information

Chicago, IL
sfarooq@cohenco.com
312.277.7213
  • Alternative Investment Funds
  • Assurance Services
  • Investment Companies
  • Investment Company Audits
  • Mutual Funds
  • Private Equity
  • Registered Investment Advisers

Syed takes a personal approach to serving clients — using in-person interactions, video conferences and phone calls as much as possible to communicate. Always a true professional, he begins each engagement by laying out clear expectations and a detailed timeline for the project at hand. Syed follows through by frequently checking in to ensure not only an effective and efficient audit but also a great overall client experience.

Syed serves a variety of investment industry audit clients, including closed-end interval and tender offer funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, commodity pools, business development companies, funds-of-funds and private equity funds. He also has experience with asset managers, public companies and Sarbanes-Oxley 404 internal controls. In addition to working at two national public accounting firms, Syed served as the assistant controller for a registered investment adviser with assets under management in excess of $200 billion. In that role, he led his team in corporate financial planning and analysis, risk reporting, annual business plan preparation, budgeting and forecasting and board book preparation.

  • Geographic lead of the firm's Chicago office; actively involved in training and mentoring for the firm’s Assurance Practice; assists with recruiting and college campus events for the firm’s Chicago office
  • Author and contributor for the firm’s investment industry thought leadership
  • Illinois CPA Society
  • American Institute of CPAs

Syed lives in the Chicago, Illinois, suburbs with his wife and three kids. When he’s not involved with his kids’ activities, Syed enjoys biking, hiking, and playing basketball and badminton. Hiking with his friends at Yosemite National Park is one of his favorite trips to date.

Credentials & Education

  • Certified Public Accountant (Illinois)
  • B.S. in accountancy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Thought Leadership

November 5, 2024

Interval and Tender Offer Funds: 5 Q&As to Better Understand their Benefits and Challenges

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June 7, 2024

U.S. Court Unexpectedly Overturns Entire SEC Private Fund Rule: What Now? 

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December 11, 2023

Dear RIC CFOs, Listen Up: SEC Staff Provide New Insights

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"Cohen & Co" is the brand name under which Cohen & Company, Ltd. and Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC, and its subsidiary entities, provide professional services.

Cohen & Company, Ltd. and Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC practice in an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable law, regulations and professional standards.

Cohen & Company, Ltd. is a licensed independent CPA firm that provides attest services to its clients. Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC and its subsidiary entities provide tax, advisory and business consulting services to their clients and are not licensed CPA firms.

The entities operating under the Cohen & Co brand are independently owned and are not responsible for the services provided by any other entity operating under the Cohen & Co brand. Our use of terms such as “our firm,” “we,” “us” and other terms of similar import denote the alternative practice structure of Cohen & Company, Ltd. and Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC.

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