At the end of last year, MHA – Baker Tilly International’s UK member – established its first Scottish presence through the merger with Aberdeen-based Meston Reid & Co. This was followed in February when the firm merged with Geoghegans in Edinburgh.

The firm has not ruled out further expansion into Scotland.

Roberts Nathan, an accountancy and advisory firm in Ireland, announced its intention to merge with MHA, effective from 1 July 2024. This strategic partnership will lead to the formation of Baker Tilly Ireland (BTI). It plans to create 100 new jobs alongside this exciting development as part of its expansion strategy.

The 100 new roles will range from graduates to experienced professionals in Dublin and Cork, with hybrid working options over the next two years. These positions will span audit, advisory, and tax services.

This proposed merger combines Roberts Nathan’s extensive local expertise with a strong international presence, significantly enhancing the firm’s capability to offer a more comprehensive range of services and sector expertise and serve a broader client base in Ireland and globally.

“We are delighted to share this exciting news,” said Vivian Nathan, managing partner of Roberts Nathan, who will become Baker Tilly Ireland’s new regional chief operations officer.

“This proposed merger marks a pivotal milestone, enabling us to leverage our combined strengths to provide more extensive services and innovative solutions to our clients while creating significant growth opportunities for our team.”

Rakesh Shaunak, managing partner and chairman of MHA, said: “Expanding into Ireland is a significant step in MHA’s strategic growth plans due to its strong trading ties and business connections with the UK and Europe, plus its thriving business community, and resilient economy.

“Our focus will remain on supporting the local and international SMEs, plus growing the owner-managed business client base, enabling them to take advantage of the international footprint of BTI, and also allowing our UK clients new opportunities into the Irish Market.

“Roberts Nathan’s growth mindset, entrepreneurial spirt and highly personal ethos aligned with MHA’s perfectly, so we are very excited about this next phase.”