The merger between mid-tier accountancy firms BDO and Moore Stephens has been completed – creating a 200-strong team in Bristol operating under the BDO brand.
Staff from Moore Stephens’ Bristol base are to relocate to BDO’s existing office at Bridgewater House over the coming months from their base at 1 Redcliff Steet. 
The merger has created the UK’s largest accountancy and business advisory firm focused on mid-sized, entrepreneurially-spirited businesses. It will also be part of BDO’s international network, which has 80,000 people and revenues of $9bn across 162 countries.
In the UK, BDO now has a combined workforce of 5,000 people across 17 locations, delivering revenues of £590m.
The merger, which also includes the London, Birmingham, Reading and Watford offices of Moore Stephens LLP, makes BDO the third biggest auditor of listed companies strengthening its position as calls to improve quality and competition at the upper end of the audit market continue.
It also cements BDO’s ranking as the UK’s leading auditor to AIM-listed companies and will enhance its expertise in sectors including financial services, insurance and shipping.
BDO Bristol partner Andrea Bishop said: “Having been in talks for a number of months, I am proud we have reached the point where we are officially one firm. There couldn’t be a better time for our two firms to join forces.
“The audit market is going through a significant period of reform and our clients are facing unprecedented uncertainty as Brexit looms. However, with uncertainty comes opportunity and together we are in a position of strength to help ourselves and our clients be at the forefront of that change.
“Our clear sense of purpose and strong growth strategy will help our entire team make this merger a huge success.”
Former Moore Stephens Bristol partner Chris Marsden, who is now a BDO partner in the Bristol office, added: “From the moment we started our conversations, our shared ambition was to create a fully-integrated firm that our people are proud of and one which leads in serving what we call the ‘economic engine’ – the entrepreneurially-spirited, mid-sized businesses that are driving UK growth.
“By combining our expertise we have created a market-leading firm in the region, enabling us to deliver an increasingly impressive range of services to help our people and clients succeed.”
