The news comes just months after BDO announced in November that its UK and Ireland entities would combine to increase scale. The move comes amid a downturn for professional services, as the industry faces growing pressure from the rise of AI. Last year, BDO’s profits fell 7 per cent while the average payout for its equity partners declined from £681,000 to £589,000. Wealth manager Evelyn Partners has sold its professional services business to Apax Partners. Private equity firms have also been buying up and merging smaller regional firms.

Source: The Irish Times April 09, 2026 13:41 UTC