M&A roundup: Withum merges in KSJG; Stratagem joins Wipfli; and CLA adds MCSK

Details: WithumSmith+Brown, a Top 100 Firm based in Princeton, New Jersey, has expanded to California by adding KSJG CPA LLP, a firm based in Irvine, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

As part of the deal, eight partners at KSJG, including an original founder, Bob Kushner, and approximately 55 other team members, will join the Withum team, but will retain their offices in Irvine. Withum has 126 partners and approximately 1,200 employees.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Withum ranked 24th on Accounting Today’s 2019 list of the Top 100 Firms. The firm had annual revenue last year of $224 million, while KSJG earned $12 million in annual revenue.

The merger will enable Withum to establish a footprint to the West Coast. "Finding the right strategic partner located in the Southern California business community is an important part of our vision for growth at a national scale,” said Withum managing partner and CEO Bill Hagaman in a statement. “We found the perfect match with KSJG in terms of expertise, geographic location and culture. This represents a major milestone in our firm’s history of growth and success.”

The merger will also give KSJG’s clients access to additional services. “The resources Withum’s nationally-recognized team provides will bring a new breadth of services to KSJG clients, including technology and advisory services such as digital workplace solutions and cyber and information security services, as well as robust tax and international services,” said KSJG managing partner Larry Gregson in a statement. “It’s a definite win for our clients.”

In August, Withum expanded in the Boston area by merging in the firm of Rucci, Bardaro & Falzone in Woburn, Massachusetts.

Details: Wipfli LLP, a Top 20 Firm based in Milwaukee, has expanded its presence in Denver by adding the advisory firm of Stratagem, based in Lakewood, Colorado, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

This transaction will add 56 Stratagem employees, including six partners, to Wipfli, making Wipfli the 11th biggest CPA firm in the Denver area. Wipfli has over 2,400 employees, including more than 260 partners.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Wipfli had over $361 million in annual revenue in fiscal year 2019. Stratagem’s revenue isn’t available. Wipfli ranked 19th on Accounting Today’s 2019 list of the Top 100 Firms.

Wipfli originally expanded to the Denver market in February 2018, when Denver-based Bauerle and Company, a CPA and consulting firm with 80 professionals in two Colorado locations, joined Wipfli. “Colorado’s marketplace is booming due to a high concentration of professionals, incubators and accelerators that encourage business growth, and significant venture capital investments in the market,” said Wipfli managing partner Kurt Gresens in a statement. “As a firm that focuses on serving growing privately held businesses in a variety of industries, Wipfli views Colorado as one of our key markets for geographic expansion. Stratagem is an esteemed firm that has served Colorado’s businesses for several decades and our firms have strong synergy in the industries we serve, which makes this an excellent fit. The addition of Stratagem will provide our firm with additional breadth and depth of resources to do even more for Colorado businesses and individuals in the future.”

Stratagem was founded in 1983 and offers advisory, accounting and tax services to hundreds of privately held businesses and individuals in Colorado, specializing in serving construction and real estate businesses, nonprofits, governmental entities and high-net-worth individuals.

“A hallmark for Stratagem that has driven our firm’s success has been the exceptional service we provide to our clients to help them achieve success,” said Stratagem CEO Paul Leroue in a statement. “By joining Wipfli, a firm with a similar service philosophy and reputation, we will have access to the firm’s national resources and broader capabilities to offer our clients, while continuing to provide them with the personal service that they expect from our firm. It will also provide our employees with enhanced training and professional development opportunities as they progress in their careers. We are very excited for all that we will be able to do for our clients as we move forward as Wipfli.”

Wipfli did a number of M&A deals last year. In November, Wipfli expanded in Naperville, Illinois by merging in Klein Hall. In October, it combined with Porter Keadle Moore in Atlanta. The firm also added Patke & Associates in Illinois in August, TopLine Strategies in Arizona in June, and Howe, Riley & Howe, in Bedford, New Hampshire, in January.

Details: CliftonLarsonAllen, a Top 10 Firm, has grown its presence in Florida by adding McHale, Caruso, Scullion & Knox, a firm based in Fort Myers, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

MCSK has been operating in Southwest Florida since 1978, providing accounting, tax, audit and financial management services, specializing in serving health care businesses.

“Today’s rapidly changing environment significantly impacts our clients,” said Kyle Williamson, managing principal of CLA’s Fort Myers and Naples offices, in a statement. “Nationally, we serve more than 10,000 health care organizations, allowing us to bring strong insight to help clients navigate emerging legislation, payment models, and market trends. I’m excited to welcome MCSK team members to Fort Myers. Together, we will continue to create opportunities for our clients and our community.”

Financial terms were not disclosed. CLA ranked 8th on Accounting Today’s 2019 list of the Top 100 Firms. The firm earned $1.1 billion in annual revenue last year, and has more than 700 principals and over 6,100 employees spread across over 120 locations in the U.S.

Former MCSK staffers will continue to work in the Fort Myers offices, alongside CLA’s Florida team of nearly 300 professionals.

“As our clients grow and the world changes, we continually look for ways to elevate the experience we deliver,” said MCSK managing partner Chuck Knox in a statement. “We go beyond the numbers to provide a tailored plan to help our clients make informed, vital business decisions. With CLA, our ability to deliver is multiplied.”

“Our clients count on us to know their needs and bring ideas to move them forward,” said Todd Caruso, a partner at MCSK, in a statement. “Joining CLA heightens our deep health care experience and allows us to address our clients’ ever more complex business needs.”

In November, CLA did another deal in Florida by merging in Forehand & Associates, a firm in Orlando. In February, CLA expanded in Washington State by merging in Watson McDonnell in Seattle.