Two venerable Chicago accounting firms have merged.
Sixty-year-old Weltman Katz Mikell & Nechtow has combined with eighty-year-old Wiseman Leader Adler & Bolnick to form Weltman Bernfield LLC.
Weltman Katz Mikell & Nechtow was founded in 1947 by Paul and Evelyn Weltman. Evelyn Weltman was one of the first woman CPAs in Illinois.
Wiseman Leader Adler & Bolnick was founded in 1927 by Harry Bernfield. "The decision to merge came from a shared point of view about how to best cope with the pressures of the annual tax season," said Allen Bolnick, Weltman Bernfield's managing partner, in a statement. He noted that the partners of the two firms have been engaged in an ongoing dialogue over the past several years about the challenges of the profession. "Even as competitors, we realized the value of sharing insights and strategies," he said.
The new firm has 11 active partners, a professional staff of 30 and a four-person administrative team. WB includes specialists in auditing, accounting, individual and business taxation, estates and trusts, business valuations, nonprofit organizations and foundations, certified senior advisory services, and general individual and business consulting. The firm also provides financial reporting for public companies and assistance for companies that plan to go public.
