Regional accounting firms Parente Randolph and Beard Miller Co. plan to merge later this year to create one of the largest firms in the Northeast, with a total $175 million in revenue.

Mowery & Schoenfeld plans to combine forces with another Illinois firm, Katch, Tyson & Co., effective August 1.

BNA has acquired the training seminar and conference businesses of the Council for International Tax Education, Atlas Information Group and the Structured Finance Institute.

The financial services sector can count on plenty of merger and acquisition activity in the near future, as insurance companies and retail banks try to turn themselves into financial supermarkets, according to a Tiburon Strategic Advisors report on mergers and acquisitions in the financial services industry that was released this morning.

UHY Advisors has acquired Step3 Consulting, a provider of performance improvement services for companies in various industries.

CBIZ has acquired EAO Consultants, an employee benefits firm also known as Egan, Amato & O’Connor, expanding the accounting provider’s benefits-consulting expertise in the Northeast.

Accounting firm Plante & Moran plans to merge with Jackson, Rolfes, Spurgeon & Co., extending Michigan-based Plante to the Cincinnati market.

Retirement plan recordkeeping service provider ExpertPlan has acquired portions of ADP’s retirement plan recordkeeping business that service independent third-party administrators.

PricewaterhouseCoopers has completed the $44 million acquisition of BearingPoint’s North American Commercial Services business.

Two accounting firms in the Bay Area — Smith, Lange & Phillips LLP and Daoro Zydel & Holland LLP — are combining forces, with the merger set to take effect July 1.

Intuit has signed a deal to acquire online payroll service PayCycle for approximately $170 million in cash, boosting the accounting and tax software vendor’s presence in the payroll business.

Accounting firm LarsonAllen has expanded its presence in Arizona by combining with Scottsdale-based Cronstrom, Osuch & Co.

Robert Bertucelli, a CPA in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., is merging his CPA practice into Satty Levine & Ciacco, a firm based in nearby Jericho, N.Y.

The audit and attestation practice of McKennon, Wilson & Morgan LLP has combined forces with the income tax preparation and planning services of DixonBrambila to form DBBMcKennon.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has issued rules to help nonprofit organizations properly account for mergers and acquisitions involving other not-for-profits.

Marcum & Kliegman LLP is combining forces with Rachlin LLP, expanding the New York firm’s presence to Rachlin’s home base in Florida.

BKD is expanding its presence in Texas by combining with KBA Group, adding over 100 people to the accounting firm.

COLOMBIA

New York - The U.S. Bankruptcy Court has given the go-ahead for Deloitte to acquire most of what remains of consulting firm BearingPoint's North American public services practice for $350 million.

PNC Equity Partners II LP has acquired Apex Analytix, a firm that provides recovery audit services to more than a third of the Fortune 100.