San Diego-area accounting firm Peterson & Co. LLP announced that it will merge into Newport Beach, Calif.-based Squar, Milner, Miranda & Williamson LLP.Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The combined firm will operate under the name Squar, Milner, Peterson, Miranda & Williamson LLP.

ADP Employer Services, a division of Automatic Data Processing Inc., announced that it has completed its acquisition of Taxware LP from First Data Corp.

The two organizations that police stock brokers and others working in the securities industry will form a new, single self-regulatory body.

Westwood, Mass.-based accounting firm Gray, Gray & Gray LLP will acquire the Norwood, Mass. practice of Clark R. Rattet & Associates PC.

A regional accounting firm recently announced that it sold its financial outsourcing solutions practice to another accounting firm. The outsourcing group provides internal auditing and compliance services, primarily to financial institutions. A stated reason for the sale was that independence regulations restrict many companies from using the same accounting firm to provide both external audit and internal audit services, and the growth of the group was limited in the regional firm by these restrictions given the firm’s growing number of financial institution audit clients. I wonder what else influenced the sale, and if the sale is indicative of a trend of divestment of practice areas by accounting firms? As more and more firms establish affiliates and specialized practice groups, it would make sense that firms would continue to evaluate their profitability and whether it pays to divest. Businesses are constantly evaluating their units, so why shouldn’t accounting firms? Am I talking about apples and oranges, as most firms are looking to recruit and retain staff? Maybe, but I think firms, especially the larger ones, are increasingly applying a corporate business philosophy to how they operate. There are consultants that match up firms for mergers, so why can’t these consultants also act as the brokers for a transfer of a firm’s practice group or affiliate? You also might see more firms being broken up more by practice areas, with the staff from each practice area joining different firms because of the greater value that can be obtained in contrast with the dissolving firm merging with one firm. The accounting firm is an evolving business model. Consolidators, technology, independence requirements, and globalization are just a few of the factors driving the changes that influence firms differently, often by the size and location of the firm, as well as by the competition the firm is up against. Some firms are being very creative and thinking outside the box so why shouldn’t firms, when appropriate, consider and explore all available options?

After working with Anchorage-based Dudley Consulting on accounting software projects for the past decade, CPA firm Finley & Cook announced the two businesses will merge.

Accounting firm Elliott Davis LLC has acquired the Galax, Va.-based practice of Larrowe and Co. PLC.Financial terms of the deal, which became effective Nov. 17, were not disclosed.

CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business, announced the creation of a new Small Firm Services group, which will comprise the employees, services and products of two recently-acquired businesses.The formation of the entity follows the August and September deals for tax-prep software suppliers ATX/Kleinrock and TaxWise.

Thomson Tax & Accounting, a unit of Thomson Corp., announced that it has acquired Scottsdale, Ariz.-based ePropertyTax Inc. -- a business that offers a range of property tax solutions by licensing its proprietary software to outsourcing compliance services.

McGladrey & Pullen LLP announced that it has acquired Chicago-based CPA firm Altschuler, Melvoin and Glasser LLP.AM&G previously had an alternative practice structure with American Express Tax and Business Services, which was acquired by RSM McGladrey in October 2005.

Beard Miller Co. LLP will sell its Financial Outsourcing Solutions practice to McKonly & Asbury LLP in a deal effective Jan. 1.

Accounting software group Sage has made another purchase -- acquiring U.K. merchant services firm Protx for $25.6 million.Established in 2001, Protx provides online payment services for small and medium businesses in the U.K., with a customer base of over 10,000 businesses.

CBiz and Mayer Hoffman McCann PC announced the expansion of its not-for-profit practice through the acquisition of CPA David Brown Jr.’s Minneapolis-area practice.Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Brown and several of his associates will be located in the downtown Minneapolis office of CBIZ and MHM.

Sacramento headquartered CPA and management consulting firm Macias Gini & O’Connell LLP announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire cross-town accounting firm Essary, Dal Porto & Lowe LLP.Financial terms of the deal, bringing together one of the city's oldest firms with one of its largest firms, were not disclosed.

CPA and business advisory firm Abrams Little-Gill Loberfeld PC will merge with Newton, Mass.-based CPA firm Glantz, Saperstein, Leavitt & Farber, LLP.Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

RSM McGladrey has announced plans to join forces with U.K.-based RSM Robson Rhodes.

LarsonAllen announced that is has acquired the offices of Florida’s Chastang, Ferrell, Sims & Eiserman LLC, in a deal effective Nov. 1.

BKD LLP will combine with Houston’s Beacon Alliance LLP, in a merger effective Nov. 1.

Horne LLP, a Jackson Miss.-based CPA firm, announced its first growth outside the southeast, with the acquisition of the Tucson, Ariz.-based firm, Moran, Quick & Associates.

Top 10 firm BKD LLP has acquired the Overland Park, Kan.-based practice of Mock & Dakan PC.Financial terms of the deal, which became effective Nov. 1, were not disclosed.