J.H. Cohn LLP has expanded its presence in New England by merging in Kostin, Ruffkess & Company LLC, a firm with three offices in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts.

A pair of Ohio CPA firms have merged: A.S. Fricano & Co. CPAs and Daniel D. Wolfe, CPA.

Friedman LLP has merged in the Sacomanno Valuation Group, a firm that focuses on business valuation and forensic accounting.

Lewis & Knopf CPAs, a regional accounting and business advisory firm based in Flint, Mich., has merged in Fenton, Mich.-based Leroy G. Johnson, CPA, effective October 19.

Dixon Hughes Goodman plans to merge in the accounting firm Swart Lalande & Associates in Fairfax, Va., effective November 1.

KPMG has analyzed the stock performance of over 300 corporate mergers and acquisitions and found that stock deals outperformed all-cash deals.

Big Four firm KPMG said it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Optimum Solutions, a provider of consulting and implementation services to users of Oracle’s enterprise software.

Philadelphia accounting firm Nihill & Riedley P.C. has been renamed as Smart Devine & Company LLC after it was acquired by Jim Smart and Rich Devine, formerly of Smart and Associates.

CPA and business advisory firm White, Nelson & Co announced that it would merge with Orange County practice Diehl, Evans & Co., effective December 1.

Kemper CPA Group, a regional accounting and business advisory firm based in Greenfield, Ind., has merged in Campbell, Royster, Carver, McBride & Co. LLP of Henderson, Ky., effective October 1.

Minority-owned CPA firm Hoskins & Company is expanding from its Nashville base to Chattanooga, Tenn., with the acquisition of the firm of Harry Tate, CPA, P.C.

CPA and business advisory firm McConnell & Jones has merged in John A. Braden PC, effective immediately.

Crowe Horwath LLP plans to merge in Perry-Smith LLP on Nov. 1, expanding the Chicago-based firm’s footprint to San Francisco and Sacramento.

It's no secret that today mergers and acquisitions are an extremely active part of the accounting profession. These combinations are due to numerous reasons, with retirement, leadership and growth at the top of the list. As owners reach retirement age, they are looking for an exit strategy. At the same time, growing firms are looking for merger candidates to gain clients, to gain access to needed staff skills, or to establish a presence in a desired market location. With a marketplace like this of buyers and sellers, it's no wonder there is plenty of activity!

PHOENIX

Price Kong & Co. is a firm on the move - but not literally.

In a union that would create one of the largest CPA and business advisory firms in California, Top 100 Firm Burr Pilger Mayer is merging with Windes & McClaughry Accountancy Corp., effective Jan. 1, 2012.

Big Four firm KPMG LLP has agreed to acquire Optimum Solutions, an Oracle Platinum Partner that provides management consulting and implementation services for organizations using Oracle Corp.’s enterprise software.

Buoyed by revenue from the acquisitions of SurePayroll and ePlan Services, payroll and benefits outsourcing concern Paychex posted a 13 percent rise in first-quarter profits, to $149 million for the period ended August 31.