The deal will see 14 partners and 100 staff from Alliotts join Shaw Gibbs, while the firm, which can trace its origins back to 1869, will retain its offices in London and Guildford with no plans to merge the London office with Shaw Gibb's two locations in the capital ‘for the foreseeable future’.

Alliotts offers a full range of accountancy services while specialist teams also advise on business strategy and corporate finance, and it has a strong media team and China desk among its niche offerings.

The merged business will have nearly 500 staff and a combined fee income of £40m+, with Alliotts’ latest results reported at £12.9m for year end June 23, combined with Shaw Gibbs.

Shaw Gibbs said the ‘exciting merger will propel the firm within the market, with the expectation that top 30 status will be reached in the next 12-18 months’.

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