History

RINA’s practice was founded in 1946 by Leo Helzel, an Oakland attorney and CPA, in a small office near 14th and Broadway. He hired Bob Nolt and Paul Ida, who also became attorneys by attending law school at night. Henry Rooney and Jack Ahern joined the firm in the early 1950’s and, with Bob and Paul, teamed up to become Rooney, Ida, Nolt and Ahern when Leo returned to the practice of law. We are now RINA accountancy corporation. To this day, RINA continues to work closely with attorneys to meet a range of client needs. Our founders’ belief in continuing education is also demonstrated in our dedication to training and personal development. We take great pride in our heritage and share the passion of our founders for outstanding client service.

From its modest beginnings, RINA has grown to become one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in Northern California and has repeatedly ranked as one of the “Top Accounting Firms in the Greater Bay Area” in both the East Bay and San Francisco Business Times.