Wauwatosa-based Wipfli LLP has hired all 50 employees of Deerfield, Illinois-based Kessler Orlean Silver & Co. P.C.
The employees, which include seven partners, joined the firm Jan. 1. This is the sixth Chicago-area firm Wipfli has added in the past three years.
“We are pleased that Kessler Orlean Silver & Co. chose to join Wipfli,” said Rick Dreher, managing partner at Wipfli. “The addition of this longtime Chicago firm signifies another significant step toward further strengthening our firm’s physical presence in this key market and helping us to better serve mid-sized Chicagoland businesses with deeper resources locally. We feel fortunate to have found a firm with a shared dedication to providing high-quality service and a similar focus on helping small and mid-sized businesses reach and exceed their goals.”
KOS was founded in 1928 and offers accounting, tax and management consulting services to private companies and high net worth individuals.
“Our clients are continually adapting to an ever-changing business landscape that presents many challenges to small and mid-sized businesses,” said Jeff Arnol, managing partner of KOS. “While we are proud of the many decades we have served the Chicago market as an independent firm, Kessler Orlean Silver & Co. has always been committed to providing our clients with the best solutions possible to help them achieve their goals. By combining with Wipfli, we are better positioned to help our clients capitalize on the opportunities ahead, providing more industry-focused specialization and having access to a larger resource pool of diverse experience and niche expertise, while continuing to provide that same exceptional service to our clients. In addition, as part of a larger firm, we will be able to continue attracting top talent and provide more professional opportunities and training to develop our employees. We are pleased to be moving forward with Wipfli, an extraordinary firm with a strong commitment to the Chicagoland market and a similar service approach and culture.”
Wipfli, which offers assurance, accounting, tax and consulting services to public and private companies, now has more than 1,900 employees at 49 U.S. offices and two offices in India. It is among the top 20 accounting and business consulting firms in the country. The firm has been absorbing smaller accounting firms at a rapid pace over the past several years, particularly in the Chicago market.
