Hancock Askew Merges in Willeford Group in Georgia

Savannah, GA-based Hancock Askew & Co. said on May 6 that fellow Georgians, Willeford Group, a Roswell-based CPA practice that specializes in providing accounting and tax services to clients in the dental industry, has merged with the top 200 accounting firm.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

As part of the transaction, Willeford Group owner Kate Willeford will join as partner, while the entire Willeford Group staff will become team members at Hancock Askew and work in the firm’s new dental division.

“Kate Willeford and her team are specialized professionals and thought leaders in the dental practice industry—they are the experts in dentistry,” Michael McCarthy, managing partner of Hancock Askew, said in a statement. “This is an incredible opportunity to build a specialized niche service line, and dentists around the country will benefit from our combined service offerings. We’re also excited to welcome a modern post-pandemic approach to working at the firm, as this is a fully remote team located across the country serving clients throughout the nation.”

Since it was founded in 1975, Willeford Group has been a well-known tax, accounting, and advisory firm for dental practices in that region. Through this merger, Hancock Askew will grow its offerings in the dental practice industry, in addition to providing clients with traditional compliance services, such as transition advisory, real estate investment tax advisory, IT risk advisory, business valuations, state and local tax services, cost segregation studies, and more.

“Cultivating our niche practice has been a journey of dedication and innovation over the past several years. As we merge with Hancock Askew, we’re embracing the opportunity to amplify our impact in the industry, expand our horizons and continue delivering exceptional value to our dental clients. We are excited to come together with Hancock Askew to further develop and grow this niche practice area,” Kate Willeford said.

Ira Rosenbloom, CEO of Optimum Strategies, provided strategic advisory services to both firms.