M&A roundup: RubinBrown, MGO and PYA expand
Details: Macias Gini & O’Connell LLP, a Top 100 Firm based in Los Angeles, has added Eckhoff & Company CPAs and Advisors, a firm in San Rafael, California.
As part of the deal, Eckhoff’s team of over 20 members will join MGO and Eckhoff managing partner Michele Hassid will join MGO as a tax principal and lead the San Rafael office. In addition, the Eckhoff Wealth Management practice will be joining MGO’s wealth management affiliate, MGO Private Wealth, bolstered by Bruce Frankel, managing partner of Eckhoff Wealth Management, adding a list of high-net-worth clients. Eric Briese will become a partner at Eckhoff Wealth Management.
“With complementary service lines and a like-minded commitment to providing team members with an amazing team member experience, we’re proud to welcome Eckhoff and its team members to MGO,” said MGO president and CEO Danielle Berg in a statement Tuesday. “California is a vital market for MGO’s growth and the addition of Eckhoff expanded our talent and resources in the Bay Area. MGO will continue to grow through strategic combinations with leading firms across key markets in the United States.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. MGO ranked No. 59 on Accounting Today’s 2022 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $98 million in annual revenue. Eckhoff earned $3.6 million in annual revenue. MGO has more than 600 staff members, including 48 partners and three principals. Eckhoff has 22 staff members.
Koltin Consulting Group CEO Allan D. Koltin advised both firms on the merger. “MGO is viewed by their peers nationally as having great leadership and a really cool culture — a melting pot for ambitious talent that wants to grow professionally,” he said in a statement. “They are one of the country’s fastest growing and most admired firms. Eckhoff was one of San Francisco’s most prestigious and sought after firms. They were continuously approached for a merger by other regional and national firms but loved the culture and depth of resources that MGO brought to the table.”
Eckhoff dates back to 1955 and provides tax and accounting solutions to individuals and businesses across the San Francisco Bay Area. The wealth management business started in 2017 when Frankel joined the firm.
“MGO quickly proved itself a like-minded partner that shares our values, our culture, and our commitment to providing world-class financial solutions,” said Eckhoff managing partner Michele Hassid in a statement. “We expect a seamless transition for our clients — they will continue to receive the dedication they expect from us now with a broader range of services to successfully manage their financial future.”
Eckhoff clients will get access to MGO’s set of services, including assurance and advisory services, and specialty offerings like R&D tax credits, international tax, transaction advisory, and cyber and information security.
“Our practice has always been about offering our clients more value through integrated services,” Frankel said in a statement. “With MGO, our power to provide our clients with specialty tax and advisory services increases exponentially.”
Former Eckhoff staff will continue to work from the Bay Area as the newest MGO office in San Rafael.
In 2019, MGO acquired Schwartz & Co., a firm in New York.
