M&A roundup: CLA, Marcum, Doeren Mayhew, Rea expand

Former Baker Tilly member firms in Mexico joined CliftonLarsonAllen Global to create CLA Mexico; Marcum Technology acquired CLA's IT Enhanced Managed Services Division; Doeren Mayhew acquired Nearman, Maynard, Vallez CPAs; and Rea & Associates merged in Koontz & Parkin, CPAs.

CLA Mexico combines former Baker Tilly member firms

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CLA's Irvine office
CliftonLarsonAllen Global Limited said Monday several former member firms of Baker Tilly in Mexico have combined to become a network member firm of CLA Global, and the firm will be rebranded as CLA Mexico, effective immediately.  

CLA Mexico has over 200 staff members and 12 partner-level professionals across six offices, with its main office in Querétaro and the other offices in Leon, Celaya, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Cancun. They specialize in audit, advisory, tax, legal and outsourcing services for industries including agriculture, automotive, financial services, life sciences, health care, technology, leisure and hospitality. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. CLA ranked No. 8 on Accounting Today's 2024 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $2 billion in annual revenue, while Baker Tilly US, a member of the Baker Tilly International Network based in London, ranked No. 10 with $1.585 billion in revenue. 

"With the international work opportunities, the CLA Global network's strategic footprint, and its focus on small and mid-size markets, we felt our firm's philosophy and values aligned with CLA Global's," said CLA Mexico managing partner Agustin C. Mendoza in a statement Monday. "We are confident that taking this step and joining CLA Global will strengthen our relationships with clients and drive growth."

CLA Global was founded in 2022 by CliftonLarsonAllen LLP and Evelyn Partners. It now has more than 180 offices across the world and over 13,500 personnel across the network.  

"CLA Mexico's commitment to delivering high quality client services aligns well with our vision and values which is key to the success of our network," said CLA Global co-CEO Sancho Simmonds in a statement. "Their addition will increase opportunities for collaboration with other experienced professionals across our member firms and their clients."

"With its breadth of service offerings and decades of experience across a range of industries, CLA Mexico makes a great addition to our fast-growing global network," co-CEO Joe Kask stated.

Marcum Technology acquires CLA’s IT Enhanced Managed Services Division

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Marcum Technology, a division of Marcum LLP that provides technology services and solutions, has completed the acquisition of the IT Enhanced Managed Services division of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, a Top 10 accounting firm, effective June 1. 

This deal expands Marcum Technology's Managed IT Services and augments its health care and banking industry teams. Former CLA team members, led by Tim McFarland, who is becoming vice president of Managed IT Services, have joined Marcum Technology. 

"We are thrilled to welcome CLA's IT Enhanced Managed Services division into our team," said Marcum Technology CEO Peter Scavuzzo in a statement Monday. "This strategic move propels Marcum Technology's expansion into the Midwest, grows our IT capabilities in the banking and healthcare industries, and deepens our commitment to excellence in IT Managed Services. With it, we are poised to enhance our collective capabilities and further our commitment to exceptional customer experiences across new horizons. Exciting opportunities await as we chart a course for shared success."

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Marcum ranked No. 10 on Accounting Today's 2024 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $1.325 billion in annual revenue, while CLA ranked No. 8, with $2 billion in annual revenue. 

Last month, Marcum, a Top 25 Firm based in New York, acquired Croskey Lanni PC, a firm based in the Detroit area with an office in Boca Raton, Florida, and Simon, Krowitz, Meadows & Bortnick, a firm based in Rockville, Maryland. In February, Marcum merged in Powers & Sullivan, a firm based in Wakefield, Massachusetts. In January, Marcum acquired Federman, Lally & Remis LLC, a firm in Farmington, Connecticut. Last year, Marcum added McCarthy & Co., a Regional Leader headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and Melanson, P.C., a Regional Leader firm in Merrimack, New Hampshire. In 2022, Marcum merged in E. Cohen and Co., CPAs, a Regional Leader firm in Rockville, Maryland, and completed a megamerger with another top firm, Friedman LLP, as well as a merger with RotenbergMeril CPAs, a firm in Saddle Brook, New Jersey.

CLA also made some recent M&A deals, including the acquisition last month of Engine B, a London-based company that helps accounting firms get more insights from their clients' data, and Ronald Blue and Co., a tax, audit and accounting firm with offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Tempe, Arizona; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Santa Ana, California. Last year, CLA acquired Richard, Witt & Charles in Garden City, New York; Frost & Co. in Tacoma, Washington; and Gilmore Jasion Mahler in Toledo and Findlay, Ohio. In 2022, CLA did a number of mergers and acquisitions, including with Hayashi Wayland in Salinas, California, Concannon Miller in Florida and Pennsylvania, and Price CPAs in Nashville, Tennessee.

Doeren Mayhew acquires Nearman, Maynard, Vallez

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Courtesy of Doeren Mayhew
Doeren Mayhew, a Top 75 Firm based in Troy, Michigan, has acquired Nearman, Maynard, Vallez, CPAs, P.A., a Miami-based firm that exclusively serves credit unions.

Nearman, Maynard, Vallez CPAs, P.A. dates back to 1979 and provides audit and consulting services to more than 170 credit unions across the nation. Its position in the industry has allowed the firm to continually rank in the No. 3 spot on the annual Supplier Market Share Guide: Credit Union Auditors publication from Callahan &  Associates.  

The firm said the acquisition positions it to secure the No. 1 spot as the  leading credit union auditor in the U.S., with over 375 annual audit clients, 500 total  credit union clients and 150 professionals dedicated to serving the industry. The practice now accounts  for nearly $31 million in annual revenue.  

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Doeren Mayhew ranked No. 53 on Accounting Today's 2024 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $154 million in revenue, 545 employees and 100 principals (equivalent to partners). The deal with Nearman, Maynard,  Vallez, CPAs is expected to propel the firm to over $160 million in revenue and a team of 675 professionals. Nearman, Maynard, Vallez, CPAs earned $6 million in revenue and has 27 employees and four partners. 

"This acquisition marks another significant milestone in our firm's growth strategy and further solidifies  our commitment to the credit union industry," said Chad Anschuetz, managing shareholder and  chairman at Doeren Mayhew, in a statement Monday. "We're always looking for additional capabilities to support this growing  niche and broaden our national footprint. We look forward to partnering with a firm whose commitment  to the credit union industry is as unparalleled as ours."  

Doeren Mayhew already has a large Financial Institutions Group practice offering audit,  internal audit, accounting, regulatory compliance, lending review, tax and merger advisory services to  hundreds of credit unions ranging in size, up to nearly $22 billion in assets.  

"Joining forces with Doeren Mayhew is a significant step forward for our team," said Nearman, Maynard, Vallez managing partner Chris Vallez in a statement. "Doeren Mayhew has an excellent  reputation in the market, and we feel this provides us a unique opportunity to give our clients access to  a broader offering of services, while allowing our employees to benefit from additional professional  growth opportunities of a larger firm."

Nearman, Maynard, Vallez CPAs will start operating under the Doeren Mayhew name effective  immediately. Its four partners — Chris Vallez, Jennifer Hoskins, Ellen Vargo and Lynn Franzosa, — will join the financial institutions group leadership team, and bring along their employees. The Georgia  employees will remain in their current office, while the others are slated to operate out of Doeren  Mayhew's Miami office.  

"We are excited to welcome the Nearman, Maynard, Vallez team to Doeren Mayhew," said John  Murnane, practice leader of Doeren Mayhew's Financial Institutions Group. "Both of our firms have a  longstanding commitment to the credit union industry, crossing paths many times over the years.  Combining our collective talents will change the accounting landscape in the industry, and create a  practice best equipped with the added value and experience to meet the evolving needs of our credit  union clients." 

Last September,  Doeren Mayhew acquired Michael Sorrentino's practice from Button Eddy & Sorrentino PLLC, based in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The firm also expanded its Financial Institutions Group with the  acquisition of Garcia & Ortiz, P.A.'s SBA consulting practice last year. In 2022, Doeren Mayhew added Kaplan Merzlak PC, a firm in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and Beene Garter LLP in Grand Rapids. In 2021, it acquired Darlene Plumly CPAs to build its presence in Houston, Texas. In 2019, Doeren Mayhew expanded in Houston by acquiring Thrasher & Associates and Evans & Chastain.

Rea & Associates merges in Koontz & Parkin

Rea & Associates administrative office in New Philadelphia, Ohio
Courtesy of Rea & Associates
Rea & Associates, a Top 100 Firm based in New Philadelphia, Ohio, has added Koontz & Parkin, CPAs, a firm in Sarasota, Florida, effective June 1, enabling Rea to expand beyond Ohio in serving the construction and real estate industries.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Rea ranked No. 77 on Accounting Today's 2024 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $76.17 million in annual revenue. Koontz & Parkin is bringing over two principals and five staff. With the addition of Koontz & Parkin, Rea now has 81 principals (income and equity, including the two from Koontz & Parkin) and 436 total staff (including incoming Koontz & Parkin, and excluding summer interns).

"We're excited to merge with Rea because both firms value top talent, hard work, exceptional client service, collaboration, innovation, and growth," says Koontz & Parkin co-founder Jo Ann Koontz in a statement Monday.

Rea & Associates offers traditional accounting services, as well as tax planning, tax preparation, tax problem resolution, managed IT and cybersecurity services, wealth management, retirement plan consulting, valuation and transaction advisory services. Koontz & Parkin will operate under the Rea name at its original Sarasota offices. 

"Koontz & Parkin clients will now have access to some of the greatest accounting and consulting professionals in the country," said Rea CEO Mark McKinley in a statement. "Coming together is a natural fit for both of our firms, since we value the same core beliefs."

In 2022, Rea merged in Arcis Technology Group in Massillon, Ohio, and Raleigh, North Carolina. It did a number of M&A deals in Ohio in 2020, including with Kennedy Cottrell Richards, Jones Battles Group, Dyer Roche & Co. and WJ Ubbing and Associates.
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