Baker Tilly expands into Pacific Northwest with Bader Martin acquisition

Baker Tilly US, a mid-market accounting and consulting firm, has expanded into the Pacific Northwest with the acquisition of Bader Martin, a Seattle-based CPA and business consulting firm.

Bader Martin was created in 1990 when Laventhol & Horwath, the seventh-largest US accountancy at the time, dissolved and filed for bankruptcy. Bader Martin was formed from the Seattle practice of the national firm, which had 3,400 employees.

Bader Martin today has more than 100 employees and specializes in serving high-net-worth individuals and families with tax, accounting, and wealth strategies. The firm also works with family-owned and closely held business, as well as not-for-profit organizations in Seattle and the Puget Sound region.

Baker Tilly’s acquisition of Bader Martin will give the Chicago-based firm its first office in the Pacific Northwest (typically Washington, Oregon, and Idaho).

“Bader Martin has exceptional leaders and has earned the trust and respect of clients whose relationships span decades,” said Baker Tilly CEO Alan Whitman. “This combination signals Baker Tilly’s commitment to the Pacific Northwest by honoring and elevating what makes Bader Martin special.”

The deal follows two previous Baker Tilly acquisitions in 2022: Orchestrate Healthcare, a West Palm Beach, FL-based healthcare IT consulting firm, and Vanilla, a UK-based ERP consulting firm.

“Joining forces with Baker Tilly provides international capabilities and incredible talent to do more for our clients whose needs are complex,” said Bader Martin managing principal Kelly Nelson, who became the firm’s leader one year ago. “Our people are now connected with an organization whose very existence is to help them discover their strengths, sharpen their skills, deepen their knowledge and soar to personal heights.”

Nelson will serve as managing partner of Baker Tilly’s Seattle market.

Koltin Consulting Group advised both firms on the transaction.