Remembering Jim Pardee, Co-Founder & Distinguished Alumnus, FLG Partners (1941-2026)

By Jeff Kuhn

We were so saddened to learn of Jim Pardee’s recent passing. He was a founding partner and distinguished alumnus of FLG Partners, who helped build our firm with his expertise and the warmth he brought to every relationship. Jim played a key role in our firm’s inception and growth, establishing a spirit of generosity, collaboration, and mutual respect that continues to guide us today. 

Unfailingly kind, upbeat, and ready to help, Jim earned the deep respect of his fellow partners by sharing his knowledge freely and bringing patience and perspective to difficult situations. His example remains central to FLG’s continued success, and each of us strives to bring those same qualities to our work with clients and one another.

Jim enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a young sailor and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander before retiring. His progression from enlisted sailor to commissioned officer earned him the rare designation “Mustang.” 

Professionally, Jim was curious and multifaceted. He spent his 35+ year career as a senior financial executive in the telecommunications, biotechnology instrumentation, software, semiconductors, semiconductor equipment, and medical devices industries. In addition to his strengths in financial management and technical accounting, he often managed his clients’ legal, information technology, human resources, and facilities functions. 

Jim served as Director, Secretary, and Chief Financial Officer, and he co-founded Applied Biosystems, a highly successful public biotechnology research instrument company. He helped technology growth companies navigate initial public offerings, company sales, rapid growth, and international expansion, bringing practical solutions to operational challenges and a seasoned perspective on strategy. He began his career with Haskins & Sells, now Deloitte, and previously held a Certified Public Accountant designation in California. 

Jim earned a Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. 

All of us at FLG mourn the loss of a colleague and friend whose influence lives on in the firm he helped create. We offer our deepest sympathies and prayers to Jim’s family.