Moore Kingston Smith
Background Summary
The firm was founded in 1907 by Harold Moore and Albert Partridge under the name Moore, Partridge & Co. It became Moore & Co a few years later after Partridge left. The company then became Moore, Stephens & Co in 1918 when John Robinson Stephens, the manager of the firm at the time, partnered with the firm.
In 1986 it established itself as Moore Stephens and in September 2019, the company rebranded to become an international network known as Moore.
The UK company comprises ten member firms with 38 offices and over 1,300 people. Each firm has a strong local presence, providing accounting and advisory services to businesses from start ups to mid-sized listed companies, the not for profit sector and private clients.
Its UK offices are run by third generation family member Richard Moore, who stepped down as chairman in 2019. He is aided by Maureen Penfold, managing partner, and a member of the firm’s governance board and Nick Hilton, the firm’s executive director.
In January 2021, the firm announced the acquisition of the audit and accounting business of Frank Hirth, a top 35 UK accountancy and tax firm. The business comprised Frank Hirth’s general practice audit, accounts and payroll business as well as incorporating its team of 23 employees.
As of 1 May 2024, Matt Meadows is the firm’s current managing partner.
The firm offers a full range of accountancy and audit services to businesses and not-for-profits of all sizes, from startups to large multinational corporations.
Accounting, auditing, assurance – The services include, accounts preparation, annual financial reporting, audit, internal audit, bookkeeping, accounting systems and software, cloud accounting solutions company secretarial services and VAT return preparation.
Consulting and advisory – This service offers advice on a range of topics such as Covid Brexit, cyber security, talent shortages and businesses today. Additionally the service offers advice on dispute advisory and investigations, restructuring and insolvency, governance, risk and internal audit. As well as IT consultancy, corporate finance and wealth management.
Tax – The tax service offers support with VAT advice, business tax, private client tax, capital allowances, research and development tax relief, stamp duty land tax, tax investigations, as well as trusts and estates.
Financials
In October last year, the firm announced its full year results for the year ended 30 April 2023 which saw a revenue increase by 14% to £220.1m.
The total number of partners through the year was 206 and the revenue per partner amounted to £1.06m.
Recent Coverage
Moore Kingston Smith recently facilitated the sale of Rimmer Bros, a supplier of replacement parts for UK marque vehicles, to Radial Equity Partners, a North American private equity firm specialising in middle-market businesses.
Led by Moore Kingston Smith Corporate Finance partner Marc Fecher, the transaction involved a comprehensive analysis of financials and market positioning to identify potential buyers and initiate discussions.
Despite market challenges such as high interest rates and declining consumer confidence, the deal was successfully negotiated and executed, reflecting the dedication of both parties. Fecher acknowledged the privilege of working with the Rimmer brothers and their team, highlighting the complexity of selling a family business with decades of passion and brand recognition behind it.