Mergers, acquisitions and strategic alliances between professional services firms, Australia 2014

PwC

January, PwC acquired the MGI Melbourne firm. Two of the Partners were brought straight into the PwC partnership and since the acquisition a further four have been promoted.
February, PwC acquired Stamford, a Design (UX) consultancy with a national presence bringing across 35 staff to the firm.
April, PwC completed the global acquisition of the strategy house, Booz Allen Hamilton. This saw 300 Partners and 3000 staff move across globally. In Australia there were 17 Partners and 300 staff.

Deloitte

June, Deloitte picked up the Sydney Team of Pacific Strategy Partners bringing three of the team into the Partnership. The rest of the business went to KPMG. (refer below)
October, Deloitte Private acquired Moore Stephens Parramatta bringing across 15 Partners.
October, Deloitte acquired the Digital consulting firm Digicon in Queensland along with 20 staff members.
October, Deloitte Private brought the Accounting Firm KD Johns in Perth bringing across four partners.

Ernst and Young

September, EY brought ROAM Consulting in Brisbane, an energy market systems and modelling provider. The two directors of the business moved to EY as Executive Directors.
September, EY brought the climate change and sustainability specialist firm Netbalance. This acquisition brought over one Partner and 50 members of staff.
October, EY acquired the Customer Insights firm Sweeney Research who have a presence in Sydney and Melbourne.
October, EY brought the resources specialists Oyster Consulting in Perth.

KPMG

March, KPMG acquired SR7 a digital consulting firm in Sydney whom they have had a strategic alliance with since 2012.
April, KPMG picked up the Melbourne team form Pacific Strategy Partners, bringing in two of the senior members to the Partnership.
August, KPMG brought Classic Slee a small accounting firm in Western Australia.
August, KPMG brought Momentum Partners, a national consulting business adding 28 members of staff and one Partner to the firm.
November, KPMG acquired SGA, a multinational property consultancy with offices in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
November, KPMG entered into a strategic alliance with Artesian Venture Partners a Venture Capital group in Sydney.

Grant Thornton brought KPMG Cairns in February with five Partners and 70 staff.
BDO Acquired KPMG Sunshine Coast bringing across two Partners and 20 staff in March.
RSM acquired the three partner firm MHM in Brisbane in June.
William Buck brought Priestly Morris a two Partner firm in August in Western Sydney.
Findex, a national Wealth Management business, acquired Crowe Horwath in October. This will see Crowe Horwath’s 110 offices across Australia and New Zealand move into the Findex group.
ShineWing brought Moore Stephens in Melbourne into the network in November taking across 27 partners.
MGI re-established their presence in Melbourne with the acquisition of MPR, a four partner accounting firm, in November.