Financial services firm Braver said it was merging with Nelson, Adam & Dickson, an accounting firm based in Concord, Mass.

Braver, based in Newton, Mass., also has offices in Boston and Mansfield, Mass., along with an office in Providence, R.I.

Braver CEO Patrick Riley said the merger with Nelson, Adam & Dickson would help his firm get more audit work from utility companies in Massachusetts. "The reality is they were in a very strong specialty," he said. "We have a practice that we merged with earlier in the year that had a similar specialty in Rhode Island, but all their clients were based in Rhode Island. [The Nelson, Adam & Dickson merger] gave our office much broader credibility in Massachusetts."

The three partners in the Concord firm, Lisa M. Dickson, Richard G. Nelson and Julia A. Adam, will become principals at Braver as part of the deal. Twelve additional staff members are also joining the combined firm.

They will assist Braver in areas such as accounting, auditing, tax services, business consulting and financial planning. The firm plans to keep the Concord office open for the time being.