Bath-based O’Hara Wood Chartered Accountants has merged with regional accountancy firm Monahans, which also has an office in the city, in a move that creates one of the area’s largest accountancy firms.
O’Hara Wood was established in 1990 and also has a small satellite office in Melksham. The firm’s Northumberland Buildings office will close and all staff transfered to Monahans’ office in Pierrepont Street. The Melksham office will remain open.
Monahans, which opened in Bath 10 years ago, also has offices in Swindon, Chippenham, Frome, Glastonbury and Trowbridge. The merged firm has 14 partners and 165 staff.
There are no job losses as a result of the merger, which comes six months after the death of O’Hara Wood founder and principal Adrian Wood.
Mr Wood, who trained at Monahans’ Trowbridge office, had started merger talks with the firm in the months before his death in May.
His family and surviving business partner Laura Green have given the merger their full support, saying it was very much his wish that this should come to fruition as he felt that Monahans had the correct culture and skills base to service O’Hara Wood clients and provide opportunities for its staff.
Ms Green joins Monahans in the same role.
Monahans Bath-based partner Martin Longmore said: “We have known O’Hara Wood for many years, and they are a firm with a very similar ethos to our own.
“Monahans have just celebrated our first decade in Bath, and I am very much looking forward to starting our second decade with Laura Green and her team, and working with them for many years to come.
“The merger will make us one of the largest accountancy firms in Bath, and the local knowledge and relationships that we collectively bring together will enable us to deliver service that is second to none to the city and its environs.”
Laura Green added: “I am delighted with the completion of the merger between O’Hara Wood and Monahans. On a personal level, having been a part of O’Hara Wood for 11 years, I feel this is a positive move for our team as a whole and we are looking forward to the benefits we will be able to provide our clients through our expanded service capabilities, without losing the personal touch our clients have come to expect from us.”
O’Hara Wood was founded in April 1990 by Robert O’Hara and Adrian Wood, both previously managers with Price Waterhouse (now PwC). The partnership was incorporated into a new limited company in 2009 – a move that coincided with Mr O’Hara retiring from the business.
Ms Green was appointed as a director (partner) in April 2012.
Among its staff are Sarah Thornber, formerly of Baker Tilly, who is lead manager providing corporation tax and employment benefit advice, Michele Shapland, who heads its personal tax and sole-trade/partnership business tax department, with additional management support provided by Alan Barnett and Thomas Snelson, who head its corporate and non-corporate departments.
The firm also has a range of qualified and part-qualified individuals, including a number who are qualified as chartered accountants and accounting technicians.
Pictured, from left: Monahans managing partner Simon Tombs, and partners Laura Green and Martin Longmore
