Forensic accountancy firms in merger deal

DOW Schofield Watts Forensic and Bridge Houghton forensic accountancy practices have joined forces.

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. Houghton had previously spent 11 years at law firm Brabners where he had headed up the accountancy advisory department.

Fuller, a former head of Alliance Fund Managers, is stepping back to focus on other business interests, including developing the Academy for Chief Executives in the North West.

The Dow Schofield Watts Forensic practice was established in 2012 with ex-Deloitte chartered accountant Michael Brian as a founding partner.

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.”