Dorset financial services and Financial Planning firm Ward Goodman has acquired local chartered accountant Graham Latham as it plots regional expansion.
Multi-disciplinary Ward Goodman, which has offices in Ferndown and Shaftesbury, will merge with Latham’s long-established practice.
Ward Goodman was founded in 1988 and recently topped £500 million in assets under advice. The firm is focused on growth in two core areas: Financial Planning and wealth management alongside its business advisory services, including tax planning and accountancy.
Graham Latham, who previously worked at Price Waterhouse, will join the Ward Goodman board as a consultant along with his portfolio of around 100 clients.
Ward Goodman says the deal, for an undisclosed sum, brings together two practices with decades of experience and will boost Ward Goodman’s business advisory capabilities.
It will also allow Mr Latham to continue to serve his long-standing clients, many of whom have been with him for 25 years or more.
Alex Foster, group managing director at Ward Goodman, said: “Graham’s exceptional reputation has been built through his expert and highly personalised approach, earning the loyalty of his clients over decades.
“The fact that he has chosen Ward Goodman is testament to how closely we align with his way of working – we share the same focus on looking after the individual as well as the business at every stage of the journey.”
Mr Latham said: “Ward Goodman has a very similar ethos to my own – they are very hands-on, which is unusual for larger groups. Clients continue to have a single point of contact, which was very important to me.
“Most of my clients have been with me throughout the 26 years I’ve had my business – and several go back even further – 30, even 35 years. I have always given clients a personal service, and I wanted to make sure they continue to be looked after in that way.”
Ward Goodman is planning further growth and plans to use the Latham deal as a model for future acquisitions.
Recent hires include accountant Josh Howard and Esha Amani-Cundy, who brings specialist tax knowledge of working with ultra-high-net-worth clients. Ward Goodman’s team incudes Chartered Financial Planners, tax specialists and accountancy professionals.