J.H. Cohn LLP has acquired the practice of Berenson LLP, a New York accounting firm specializing in solid apparel and import specialization practices.

On the heels of News Corp.’s bid for The Wall Street Journal, electronic publisher Thomson Corp. confirmed that it will offer $17.5 billion for the Reuters Group news service.

The partners of Grant Thornton U.K. LLP and RSM Robson Rhodes LLP announced an agreement last week to merge the two firms.Financial terms of the deal, expected to be completed on July 1, were not disclosed. The combined firm will operate under the Grant Thornton name.

Braver PC announced that it will expand into the Providence, R.I., area thanks to a merger with Prescott Chatellier Fontaine & Wilkinson LLP.

Citing a material breach, financial staffing and marketing services concern AccountAbilities has terminated its planned asset purchase and reorganization pact with automotive franchiser Tilden Associates Inc. and TFP Associates, a spinoff company controlled by Tilden chairman Robert Baskind. AccountAbilities said that, among other things, Tilden did not file its annual report on time, which subsequently resulted in Tilden's stock being delisted from the OTC exchange. Under the terms of the pact, Tilden would have acquired the assets of AccountAbilities for 12.5 million shares of its stock -- valued roughly at $18.7 million. Following the close of the deal, there was to be a 1-for-25 reverse stock split, representing about 96 percent of Tilden's shares. Allan Hartley, president of Accountabilities, said that his company would shop around for similar agreements such as the one with Tilden.

Global business intelligence software provider Business Objects S.A., provider of the Crystal Reports series, has agreed to acquire enterprise software publisher Cartesis for about $300 million in cash.

AccountAbilities Inc., a provider of financial personnel staffing services, marketing services and management consulting services, announced that one of its partner firms has acquired a smaller staffing and consulting firm.

Eide Bailly LLP, North Dakota’s largest accounting firm, announced that it will merge with Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Henry Scholten & Co. LLP.

As expected, H&R Block Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement to sell its struggling Option One Mortgage Corp. lending arm, though unit subsidiary H&R Block Mortgage Corp. is not part of the deal.

Garden City, N.Y.-based Israeloff, Trattner & Co. CPAs PC has merged with its Long Island neighbor, Hempstead, N.Y.-based accounting and tax firm Bloom & Co. LLP.

Intuit Inc. and Electronic Clearing House Inc. have agreed to scrap a deal that would have seen Intuit pay $142 million for the debit and credit card processor’s business.

The Canadian arms of Grant Thornton International and BDO International announced plan to merge their businesses.

Independent accounting firm Briggs & Veselka Co. has acquired a Houston neighbor, local CPA firm Pirsch & Mills LLP.

Business technology solutions provider Net@Work has acquired Apptech Inc., a Cheshire, Conn.-based consulting firm specializing in Sage Pro ERP sales and support.

Integrated business technology solutions provider Net@Work has acquired Westchester, N.Y.-based Spitz Consulting Systems, an ACT! by Sage Software reseller and consultant.Previously, Net@Work did not offer ACT!, which offers small companies contact management services such as needs analysis, data discovery, database design, software installation, data importing, training and follow-up support, through its customer relationship management practice.

Two Pittsburgh financial advisors have merged their independent accounting, tax and investment advisory practices to form ATI Financial Services.The firm’s initials stand for accounting, taxes and investments, and are meant to reflect the core businesses of the new company, which will also provide comprehensive financial planning, insurance and other financial services.

Leon & Partners LLP announced that it will become part of neighboring Houston firm MiriFox & Rodriguez PC.

Business-information provider D&B Corp. has acquired First Research for $22.5 million in cash.

A new partnership in New Milford, Conn., has been doing business as Dumas Estate and Tax Management since the start of 2007.

Carlin, Charron & Rosen, a regional CPA and business advisory firm in New England, has ended its merger negotiations with accounting firm consolidator UHY Advisors.