For Moore Stephens, 2007 represents a good year. It celebrates its centenary year as fee income rose by 20%, cementing its position just outside the top ten firms. It is led by Richard Moore and Colin Moore.
The firm currently operates 44 offices throughout the UK - more than any other firm. This is reflected by the high number of partners it has, 169. The downside of that is average fee per partner is among the lowest of the larger firms at just £600,000, someway off the £1.4m per partner registered by ninth-placed PKF.
Founded in 1907, Moore Stephens makes great play of its international networks, one of the biggest outside the Big Four with 539 offices in 93 countries. Its UK arm covers the usual areas of audit, tax and consulting, with the latter showing the healthiest signs of growth in the past year at 33%. Corporate finance also showed good signs of expansion. According to the firm itself, international growth made it the fastest growing network in the world from 2005 to 2006. This comes despite a high profile liability case winding its way through the courts over Moore Stephens' handling of the accounts of client Stone and Rolls during the 1990s.
As for the firm's specialisms, Moore Stephens has a strong presence in the mining sector as well as hospitality and property. But it is shipping where the firm really makes it mark, with the City ranking it the number one adviser to that industry.
For now, it is focusing on growing its PFI consultancy arm and establishing a firm foothold with AIM-listed clients, a popular current tactic among the mid-tier.
