Wilkins Kennedy merges with Griffins Accountants

TOP 20 FIRM Wilkins Kennedy has announced a merger with Newbury-based Griffins Accountants.

The deal brings the total number of Wilkins Kennedy UK offices to 17, in addition to their office in Falkland Islands. The combined turnover will be around £50m, with 73 partners under the trading name Wilkins Kennedy.

Two Griffins directors will join Wilkins Kennedy, including Chris Duggan who joins as a partner, and Ken Weeks as a consultant.

Matt Hall, partner at Wilkins Kennedy, said: “Griffins is a well-established and highly respected firm in Newbury and Reading, and we are delighted to be joining forces with them to grow our combined business. We look forward to welcoming and working with our new colleagues.”

Duggan added: “We are delighted to be merging with Wilkins Kennedy, a firm that shares our culture and ethos. This deal gives us access to specialisms such as international assistance and specialist HR advice as well as additional advisory services to our clients.”

The deal is an important part of Wilkins Kennedy’s growth strategy for the region. In October, the firm merged with Day, Smith & Hunter, creating a bigger footprint in Kent. The firm also had an Amersham merger with JR Antoine & Partners in June.

Kent has proved a popular area for deals, with MHA MacIntyre Hudson scooping up firms in recent years.