Member Article

Leading Northern forensic practices join forces

Leading Northern forensic practices join forces

Bridge Houghton LLP, the North West corporate valuation and forensic accountancy practice, and Dow Schofield Watts Forensic LLP have joined forces in a move that will create one of the UK’s leading independent forensic and valuations teams.

The combined practice, trading as DSW Bridge Houghton Forensic, will be led by partners David Houghton, Michael Brian and Kate Beckett and will operate from the existing Dow Schofield Watts Group’s offices in Daresbury and Leeds.

Bridge Houghton was founded by David Houghton and Mark Fuller four years ago. David had previously spent 11 years at leading law firm Brabners where he had headed up the accountancy advisory department. Mark is a former head of Alliance Fund Managers.

The practice operates throughout the UK providing forensic accountancy services principally focused upon working with lawyers and accountants in relation to share valuations, ancillary relief and commercial disputes.

The Dow Schofield Watts Forensic practice was established in 2012 with ex-Deloitte chartered accountant Michael Brian as a founding partner. It has developed to service clients on both sides of the Pennines from its offices in Daresbury and Leeds.

The partnership provides expert witness, advisory, valuation, dispute and investigation services to lawyers and corporate clients.

David Houghton said: “The coming together of our two practices creates a firm that will be one of the leading independent forensic teams outside London. Our skills and experience complement each other and the merger will materially strengthen the range of services that we can offer together and allow us to further develop our service offering to key partners in the professional community.”

Michael Brian said: “This merger represents an exciting step in the development of our partnership. We strongly believe that joining together with David and his team will create a business that is more than the sum of its parts. It gives us greater critical mass to broaden our service offering without diluting the high quality, client focused ethos which has allowed us to achieve what we have to date.”

James Dow, founding partner at Dow Schofield Watts, said: “David has built a national reputation for his work in forensic accounting. The merger will further strengthen the expertise of our team as we continue to develop our offering as the advisor of choice for professional and corporate clients.”

Mark Fuller, who is stepping back to focus on his other business interests, said: “I am delighted that we have secured this merger. The Bridge Houghton and Dow Schofield Watts brands have a great reputation and together they provide a formidable range of talent and services. I now have an increasing focus on developing the Academy for Chief Executives in the North West and will continue to pursue several other business interests.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

· For more information or an interview, please contact Nick Mason at Mason Media on 0151 239 5050 or email: nick@masonmedia.co.uk

About Dow Schofield Watts Group

Dow Schofield Watts is a prominent independent advisory business which for over a decade has delivered a partner-led corporate finance service across diverse industries. A talented team of 41 professionals, based in offices in the North West and North East of England, provide a broad range of professional services, including corporate finance, transaction services, business recovery, management and strategy, VAT advisory, forensic services and fund and wealth management.

www.dswcf.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mason Media .