About Us
Our Story at Alaska Legal Accounting Service
At Alaska Legal Accounting Service, we know that running a business takes grit, patience, and a whole lot of behind-the-scenes work. That is especially true when it comes to bookkeeping, payroll, and billing. As a legal accounting service in Anchorage, we have built our business around helping Alaska residents and Alaska businesses stay organized, supported, and confident in their numbers. For us, this work has never been just about spreadsheets or software. It has always been about people, partnerships, and making sure the businesses that keep Alaska moving have dependable financial support they can trust.
Built to Support Alaska Businesses
Our story started with a simple idea: business owners deserve reliable financial support from people who truly care about their success.
We founded Alaska Legal Accounting Service in 2002 with a focus on serving Anchorage law firms. Over time, our work grew far beyond the legal field. As more businesses reached out, we realized the same care, accuracy, and consistency that mattered to attorneys also mattered to contractors, retailers, medical offices, professional service providers, and many other small to medium-sized businesses across Alaska.
What began as a specialized service developed into a trusted resource for businesses that needed more than a one-size-fits-all approach. We saw firsthand that every company has its own pace, pressures, and priorities. Some are just getting started and need a clean, dependable bookkeeping system. Others are growing fast and need help keeping payroll, billing, and reporting under control. Many simply want a partner who can step in, stay consistent, and make the financial side of the business feel less overwhelming.
That is where we come in.
The Experience
Behind Our Work
Our founder, Dane Markell, has been providing top-quality bookkeeping, payroll, and billing services to Alaska businesses for more than 25 years. Building Alaska Legal Accounting Service has been a true journey. Along the way, we have supported dozens of businesses through everyday demands, unexpected challenges, and exciting milestones. We have watched clients grow, adapt, and succeed, and we are proud to have played a role in that process.
Over the years, we have learned something important: good bookkeeping is not just about recording transactions. It is about creating clarity. It is about giving business owners accurate information, dependable systems, and one less thing to worry about. When your books are handled properly, decisions become easier, operations become smoother, and growth feels more manageable.
That kind of support matters in every industry, but it matters even more in a place like Alaska, where businesses often have to be resourceful, resilient, and ready for anything.
Who We Are
Dane Markell
Our company was founded by Dane Markell, whose background and experience helped shape the foundation of Alaska Legal Accounting Service. Dane began ALAS with a strong focus on Anchorage law firms, but his expertise quickly proved valuable to a much wider range of businesses throughout the state.
With more than 25 years of bookkeeping experience, Dane has worked closely with small and medium-sized businesses in industries that each come with their own financial demands and workflows. His knowledge includes QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop, along with software platforms such as TimeSlips, Clio, and Sage.
For Dane, this business has always been personal. Over the years, many clients have become more than clients. They have become long-term relationships built on trust, consistency, and shared progress. That sense of connection is still a big part of who we are today.
Sharmin W. Shahin
Sharmin W. Shahin brings energy, care, and a genuine passion for helping clients navigate their financial responsibilities. As a lifelong learner with a strong interest in finance, Sharmin has enjoyed working with Alaska businesses and seeing just how different each company’s financial picture can be.
That perspective matters. No two businesses operate the same way, and no two bookkeeping challenges are exactly alike. Sharmin approaches each client relationship with curiosity, pride in her work, and a commitment to finding practical ways to help.
Her background includes QuickBooks Online Certification, certification in Business Office Administration, more than one year of bookkeeping experience, more than two years of banking experience, and service as an Alaska State Notary. She represents the thoughtful, service-focused approach that we believe every client deserves.
What We Do
We specialize in bookkeeping, payroll, and billing for small to medium-sized businesses. Our role is to help create structure, accuracy, and consistency in the financial tasks that keep your business moving forward.
That may sound simple, but we know how much those responsibilities affect your day-to-day operations. Payroll has to be timely. Billing has to be accurate. Bookkeeping has to be organized and dependable. When those pieces are handled well, everything else runs more smoothly.
We also understand the tools businesses rely on to get the job done. Our experience with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, TimeSlips, Clio, and Sage allows us to support clients with systems they may already be using, while helping them get more value and efficiency from those platforms.
Why Alaska Businesses Choose Us
We believe one reason clients stay with us is because we never forget what this work is really about. It is not just compliance. It is not just data entry. It is not just balancing the books.
It is peace of mind.
Business owners already carry enough. They are leading teams, serving customers, solving problems, and trying to grow in a place where business can be both rewarding and demanding. Alaska has its own rhythm, and businesses here often need service partners who understand that. We are proud to be part of that landscape.
When clients work with us, they are not getting a distant service provider who treats them like a file on a screen. They are getting a team that values responsiveness, quality work, and real relationships. We listen, we adapt, and we take pride in being dependable all year long.
More Than a Service, A Long-Term Partnership
Some of the most meaningful parts of our story are the relationships we have built over the years. We have been there for businesses during busy seasons, transitions, expansions, and everyday operations that rarely get celebrated but matter just as much.
We have seen firsthand how much heart goes into building a business. That is why we approach our work with the same level of care we would want for our own. We understand that behind every payroll report, billing statement, and bookkeeping record is a person working hard to build something worthwhile.
Our goal is to make your financial processes feel seamless and efficient, so you can focus on serving your clients, growing your company, and doing the work you do best.
Frequently Asked Questions
We provide bookkeeping, payroll, and billing services for small to medium-sized businesses, with experience supporting legal, medical, retail, contractor, and professional service businesses.
No. While we began by serving Anchorage law firms, we now work with a wide range of Alaska businesses across multiple industries.
We work with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, TimeSlips, Clio, and Sage, among other bookkeeping and billing tools.
Our team brings more than 30 years of combined experience, including over 25 years of bookkeeping experience from our founder, Dane Markell.
Yes. We work with both established companies and newer businesses that need reliable support setting up and managing financial processes.
Yes. We support our clients throughout the year so they have consistent help with bookkeeping, payroll, and billing when they need it.
Let’s Build Something Strong Together
At Alaska Legal Accounting Service, we are proud of where we started, what we have built, and the businesses we have had the chance to support along the way. We believe great bookkeeping and billing support should feel dependable, personal, and easy to work with. That is exactly what we strive to provide every day. Whether you are launching a new company, managing a growing team, or looking for a trusted bookkeeping partner in Anchorage, we are here to help make the financial side of your business simpler. We look forward to being part of your story, too.