Brown Edwards LLP, a Top 100 Firm based in Roanoke, Virginia, plans to acquire Mitchell Wiggins, a provider of tax, audit and business consulting services in the Metro Richmond and Tri-Cities area of Virginia, effective Nov. 1, 2021.
The Mitchell Wiggins team will add six new partners and 47 more team members to Brown Edwards’ operations in those areas of Virginia. Brown Edwards has 48 partners and 365 staff members. The combined operations will be located in the Mitchell Wiggins’ existing offices in Richmond with a satellite client meeting location in the Brown Edwards office in Midlothian. The acquisition will also lead to Brown Edwards having its first office in Petersburg to serve the Tri-Cities area. In total, the combined new RVA operation will employ 70 professionals, for a total over 400 team members across the firm.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Brown Edwards ranked 79th on Accounting Today’s 2021 list of the Top 100 Firms. The firm earned $62 million in annual revenue, while Mitchell Wiggins earned $9 million.
“Brown Edwards is thrilled to bring a firm with a reputation as solid and strong as Mitchell Wiggins into our practice,” said Brown Edwards CEO Jason Hartman in a statement Wednesday. "Our acquisition of Gregg & Bailey in early 2020 and the on-going client service they have delivered since then, has positioned us well to expand further in the Richmond area. The size and strength of the combined Mitchell Wiggins and Brown Edwards operations will allow us to continue to offer more client-focused expertise with a deeper bench to serve all of our clients going forward.”
Mitchell Wiggins managing partner David Reardon will continue a leadership role as the Metro Richmond area coordinator at Brown Edwards, while Thomas Puryear will serve as area coordinator in the Tri-Cities location.
“We are very excited to join Brown Edwards,” Reardon said in a statement Wednesday. “In going through the due diligence process, it became very apparent that the mission and culture of our firms are in alignment. As Brown Edwards, we will be able to provide greater resources to our clients and continue to look for ways to expand our offerings. The administrative support offered by the combined operations will enable our professionals to focus on assisting clients to find the best solutions to address their unique business, financial and advisory needs. In addition to the specialized offerings to our clients, the enhanced training and mentoring to our staff will help them become future business leaders.”
