M&A roundup: Friedman, UHY, Blue and others strike deals

December 3, 2019 7:21 PM

Friedman adds Markowitz, Fenelon & Bank; UHY Advisors unites with Becker & Rosen; Blue & Co. merges in Clarus Partners; Barone, Howard & Co. CPAs joins Dermody, Burke & Brown CPAs.

Friedman LLP headquarters in New York

Courtesy of Friedman LLP

Friedman adds Markowitz, Fenelon & Bank

Details: Friedman LLP, a Top 100 Firm based in New York, has added Markowitz, Fenelon & Bank, a firm headquartered in Long Island.

With the addition of MFB's offices in Bridgehampton and Riverhead, New York, Friedman will have 13 offices and around 600 partners and staff members. The deal is another sign of Friedman's recent growth, which includes the establishment of new locations in Red Bank, N.J., and Los Angeles, along with the relocation of its Manhattan headquarters and its Marlton, N.J., office to state-of-the-art spaces.

MFB has been around for more than 60 years, providing tax, audit, accounting and advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, closely held businesses, nonprofits and government entities.

"The firms' natural alignments across value systems and proficiencies will promote a swift integration of our respective teams," noted Friedman co-managing partner Harriet Greenberg in a statement.

Financial terms of the deal of the deal were not disclosed. Friedman ranked No. 40 on Accounting Today’s 2019 list of the Top 100 Firms. The firm had $135 million in annual revenue this year, and MFB had $8 million. Friedman has 75 partners, and MFB will be adding another five partners.

"MFB has always taken great pride in the level of professionalism and care that we provide," stated partner Thomas Terry. “By joining Friedman we will be able to offer a broader and more sophisticated range of services, including dedicated practice groups with specialized expertise in areas like international tax, cybersecurity and digital currency, among others."

UHY Advisors unites with Becker & Rosen

Details: UHY Advisors, a Top 100 Firm based in Chicago, is growing in the Midwest by adding Becker and Rosen CPAs LLC, a firm in St. Louis.

The merger is the third expansion in the Midwest in the past year for UHY. “We are pleased to welcome the Becker team to UHY through this expansion, as their team already possesses the UHY qualities of deep accounting experience and personalized relationships with clients,” said Jerry Townsend, Midwest regional managing partner for UHY, in a statement. “This continues our growth strategy in the Midwest, adding quality firms and partners to our region while expanding our footprint.”

UHY ranked No. 33 on Accounting Today’s 2019 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $141.7 million in annual revenue. The firm has more than 850 employees across 17 offices in the U.S. Becker has one partner, one principal and 10 staff members who are joining UHY.

Becker has been operating in the St. Louis area for more than 30 years, providing tax management, accounting, auditing, financial statement preparation, financial planning and other services.

“We recognized the need to increase our talent pool and resources in order to maintain and excel our level of client service,” stated Jonathan Becker, founder and partner of Becker, who will now be a partner at UHY. “We have found UHY to have similar company values and an excellent client service record. Together we will have the increased resources and talent we need to deliver the service and quality work products we strive so hard to achieve.”

Blue & Co. merges in Clarus Partners

Details: Blue & Co., LLC, a Top 100 Firm based in Carmel, Indiana, has added Clarus Partners, a firm based in Columbus, Ohio, effective Dec. 1.

As part of the deal, three partners, Barry Adelman, Michael Stevenson and Matthew Kaufman, will join Blue & Co. The combined staff will include more than 450 professionals in 11 offices across three states.

“We are very excited to have Clarus Partners join Blue & Co.," said Brad Shaw, managing director of Blue & Co., in a statement. “Expanding the Columbus, Ohio, office is a strategic initiative of the firm, and combining with Clarus will help us on the road to achieving that initiative. We believe the expertise and reputation of both firms complement one another and offer a friendly, client-first culture.”

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Blue & Co. ranked No. 59 on Accounting Today’s 2019 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $83.24 million in annual revenue. Blue & Co. has more than 450 people in 11 offices across Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and has been operating for nearly 50 years.

Clarus Partners was founded in 2007 and provides business advisory services in addition to accounting. “We are also excited about this partnership,” Stevenson stated. “We feel that it will not only help expand the commercial market in the Columbus area, but also provide growth opportunities for all of our associates.”

Barone, Howard & Co. joins Dermody, Burke & Brown

Details: Dermody, Burke & Brown CPAs LLC, a large locally owned CPA firm in Central New York, has added Barone, Howard & Co. CPAs PC, an accounting and consulting firm based in New Hartford and Rome, New York, effective Nov. 1.

Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal will add four principals with CPA credentials and nine associates to Dermody, Burke & Brown’s New Hartford office, and expand the firm’s geographic footprint to Rome, New York. Prior to the deal, DB&B had 16 members and principals and 62 staff members. The combined firm now has 20 members and principals and 71 staff members, for a total of 91 people.

“We are proud of our Central New York roots and this merger positions us to be part of the exciting economic growth taking place in the Mohawk Valley,” said Dermody, Burke & Brown CEO Madelyn Hornstein in a statement. “This is a way for us to support our clients, their growth and the development of this region -- now and in years to come.”

Barone, Howard & Co.’s New Hartford employees have relocated to a newly expanded 5,000-square-foot office of DB&B in New Hartford. DB&B plans to retain the Rome office.

“We look forward to expanding our scope of services and footprint.” former Barone, Howard & Co. MP John Barone said in a statement. “This was the right fit for us and our clients based on the mutual values we share.”