London Chartered Accountants BKL and Cambridge firm Ashcroft Anthony announced this week that the two are in advanced talks to merge their businesses under the BKL brand.
BKL is particularly well-known for its tax consultancy team and its specialist media, property and real estate divisions. The firm was recently named as the 2015 Practice Excellence Large Firm of the Year for its excellent client service, innovative approach and breadth of knowledge and experience. The firm’s tax consulting team advises over 100 other firms of accountants and lawyers across the UK, as well as BKL’s own clients.
Ashcroft Anthony’s expertise lies in the private client sphere, property and development tax planning with a strong presence in digital media, technology and corporate finance. The firm has a particular focus on strategic planning and consultancy for entrepreneurial businesses, as well as extensive experience of providing tax advisory and compliance services to private individuals and estates.
This move will be mutually beneficial for both firms, offering a valuable London base to Ashcroft Anthony’s clients, and wider tax offering for the two firms’ combined client base. The enlarged media team makes BKL a serious player in the digital media scene.
Jeff Hartstone, managing partner of BKL said of the move, “It’s a seriously exciting time for BKL – joining forces with the talented team at Ashcroft Anthony takes BKL to the next level in terms of growth and ambition for the practice, and complements the firm’s existing offering in the private client and digital media sectors.”
Dominic Anthony of Ashcroft Anthony added “We see this merger as a great opportunity to expand the service and expertise that we can offer our clients. With the strength in depth achieved by joining BKL, we can continue to meet and exceed our clients’ increasingly diverse and complex needs. Cambridge continues to create and support market leading businesses with an appetite for a full service provider of bespoke professional advice at the local level. We are convinced the market will benefit from the reach and skills of the combined proposition which is also a natural fit for our existing London clients.”
This is the latest step in BKL’s ambitious expansion plans, bringing the total number of partners up to 20, and a team of 140 across two offices in London and Cambridge.
For more information, please contact:
Myfanwy Neville
Tel: 020 8922 9222