Berkshire accounting firm Donald Reid Group (DRG) has been acquired by FLB Accountants.
Donald Reid Group, a family-founded accountancy firm with more than 50 years of experience, has joined forces with US-private-equity-backed FLB Accountants to combine expertise, resources, and talent to elevate the service offerings of both firms.
Knights provided comprehensive legal support to Daniel Reid and Oliver Burton, partners at DRG, to navigate the smooth transfer of ownership of the longstanding business, with the company having been founded by Daniel’s father Donald Reid. The DRG team will now work from offices in Winnersh Triangle in Wokingham and Soho as part of the FLB Accountants group.
Ben Davis, partner in the corporate team at Knights, who has worked closely with DRG and mutual clients for more than six years, said: "Given our long-standing relationship with the team at Donald Reid Group, we were well positioned to act on its behalf through this complex sale.
"The acquisition reflects a positive outcome for both organisations’ staff and clients, with a focus on collaboration, continuity and growth. Maintaining stability while providing greater opportunities for the DRG team and their clients was a key priority throughout this process.
"Our broad service offering through our collaborative regional model, knowledge and established rapport with DRG, including understanding its legacy and client base, was instrumental to handling the intricacies of the deal and ensuring a seamless transition. It was great to support Dan and Oli to secure the sale within the required timeframes."
As well as corporate support led by Ben alongside Saskia Robinson and Beth Hughes, Knights provided, tax, commercial, data protection, employment, property and private client services from across its team in its Oxford, Cheltenham, Bristol and Exeter offices. Partners who facilitated the transaction with Ben include Julian Moran, tax, Lisa Sweetman, commercial, and David Nicholls, commercial property.
Oliver Burton, who is now a partner at FLB Accountants, said: "Having worked with Ben and Saskia on multiple transactions, Knights was ideally positioned to support us with what was a significant milestone for DRG.
"There were several moving parts in the transaction which Knights helped us navigate and hit what was a tight timetable. It was a genuine pleasure working with Ben, Saskia, and the wider Knights team. They went above and beyond to help us achieve a successful outcome and I would whole-heartedly recommend them."