Payton R. Baran

Entrepreneur. Innovator. Fencing Champion. Dad.

Payton Baran was born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 2008 with a degree in finance and then practiced as a financial statement auditor at Dixon Hughes Goodman in the Washington, D.C. area for over six years.

In 2012, Payton founded LegalConfirm.com, to expedite a globally required audit procedure. The business was acquired by Confirmation.com and honored as a finalist at the CPA Practice Advisor Tax & Accounting Innovation Awards in 2016*. The product is now part of Thomson Reuters through a merger in 2019.

Payton’s background makes him the perfect asset to W&A. His experience in evaluating and investing in traditional and alternative assets is especially notable. As a wealth strategist, Payton supports W&A’s Investment Committee as well as the firm’s technology and business development initiatives. He says, “I’m thrilled to interact daily with colleagues and clients to understand, develop, and implement investment strategies. Being part of W&A allows me to merge my personal interests and passions with my career.”

Payton’s career has already taken him to London, Berlin, Prague, Ahmedabad, and throughout the US, and in 2020 he made his home in Memphis, where he now lives with his wife and two young children.

In his community, Payton is a member of the Nashville Capital Network and former treasurer of the Phoenix Club of Nashville. In his free time, he loves being with his family and traveling. In high school, he was a foil fencing national champion!

 

 

*CPA Practice Advisor Tax & Accounting Technology Innovation Awards criteria detailed here.