About the Firm

The firm Puerto
Rico needed.

We built Hawthorne Ridge because the market demanded something it didn't yet have — a boutique advisory practice with institutional precision and direct access to every senior decision maker.

Our Standard
While others hand you a form,
we hand you a strategy.
While others look back,
we look forward.

Puerto Rico rewards businesses that get compliance right and plan early — from a founder's first payroll through sophisticated multi-entity structures. Incentive programs like Act 60 can be transformative when they fit your facts, but they are one part of a broader tax posture. Most firms in Puerto Rico are equipped to process what already happened. We are built to engineer what comes next — for startups, growing companies, and complex private situations alike.

Hawthorne Ridge was designed for clients who expect more. No off-the-shelf answers. No handoffs. Every client engages directly with a principal advisor who owns your outcome from day one. We bring Big 4 rigor with the access and agility of a firm that never forgets you're a person, not a file number. This is what Puerto Rico's market has been missing — until now.

From the founder

A firm built for clients who expect direct access.

Hawthorne Ridge exists so clients who need real judgment — not a queue — have one accountable relationship from strategy through execution.

I opened Hawthorne Ridge because the work I care about does not tolerate fragmentation. Puerto Rico businesses deserve advice that fits their stage — from reliable books and compliance through tax strategy, structures, and incentive programs when the facts support them — explained with clarity and owned end-to-end. I wanted a practice built for that standard: direct access, serious documentation, and advice that lands while you can still act on it.

Before that, I began at a boutique accounting firm—starting in tax, assisting clients when cryptocurrency was still an emerging area for compliance and planning, then supporting accounting work as well. Seeing both sides exposed me to how a firm actually runs and what clients experience when complexity is owned end-to-end versus passed along. That path is a large part of why Hawthorne Ridge is built around one accountable relationship instead of a conveyor belt.

I earned my Master of Science in Accountancy from Purdue University. That graduate training sharpened how I model outcomes, document positions, and explain tradeoffs—layered on top of the practitioner reality I had already lived in a nimble firm. Together, that is the backbone of how we work here: rigor without distance, and a managing member who stays in the details with you.

I did not build a smaller version of the old model. I built Hawthorne Ridge for people who want one accountable partner in work that demands precision.
Alexander Santana-Zayas, MSAcc
Managing Member

Founding member

AS

A private practice, led personally — with the discretion you would expect at a family office.

What Sets Us Apart

Five principles.
Uncompromising.

01

Principal-Only Engagement

Your file never touches a junior associate. Every engagement is owned at the principal level — the standard of a private family office.

02

Technology-Forward Practice

AI-assisted research, automated workflows, and a proprietary client portal delivering faster, more accurate advisory work.

03
Never
reactive.

We reach out before deadlines. Quarterly planning calls, year-end projections, and continuous monitoring of regulatory changes.

04

Dual-Jurisdiction Mastery

Federal, state, and Puerto Rico tax systems navigated simultaneously. Essential for founders and businesses with mainland ties, travel, or cross-border income.

05

Absolute Discretion

Your financial affairs are private. We operate with the confidentiality standard of a private family office — never discussing clients, never sharing information. What happens in your engagement stays in your engagement.

How We Work

From first conversation
to total financial clarity.

01

Confidential Consultation

A private conversation about your situation. No judgment, no commitment — just an honest assessment of what's possible.

02

Strategic Assessment

A thorough review of your financials and eligibility. We present a written strategy with projected outcomes before you commit.

03

Precision Execution

We handle all filings and authority correspondence, with real-time updates through your client portal throughout the engagement.

04

Ongoing Partnership

Quarterly planning calls, year-round monitoring, and proactive strategy adjustments as your life and the law evolve.

Our Commitments

Built for clients who
refuse ordinary.

The firms that built Puerto Rico's professional services industry were designed for a different era. We were designed for yours.

Transparency in Everything

Flat fees, written strategies, no surprises. You always know what you're paying for.

Results-Oriented Mindset

We measure our value by outcomes — not billable hours, not volume, not form count.

Year-Round Availability

We're available 365 days because your financial life doesn't stop for holidays.

Built for Puerto Rico

Deep roots in the PR market, government systems, and local regulatory environment.

What Our Clients Experience

From uncertainty to
total clarity.

Most clients come to us overwhelmed. They leave with a clear structure, lower tax exposure, and confidence that comes from knowing exactly where they stand.

68%
Avg. tax reduction vs. mainland
4%
Effective rate on qualifying income
100%
Senior advisor on every file
365
Days per year, available
Start Your Engagement