Kreston forms legal group alongside tax group

Kreston Global, an international accounting network based in London, has created a new Global Legal Group, uniting legal professionals from across the network, operating in coordination with the network’s Global Tax Group.

Processing Content

In its initial phase, the Global Legal Group will focus on mapping legal expertise across the network, with the aim of identifying specializations, facilitating collaboration between firms to strengthen legal services, and responding to the needs of clients with an international presence or interest within Kreston Global.

The group will be co-chaired by Pedro Pizá Nerín, managing partner of the legal group at Kreston Iberaudit in Spain, along with Klaas Stoke-Borchert of Delfs & Partner in Germany. The structure will allow connection of legal capabilities at a global level in alignment with other areas such as tax, advisory, M&A and audit. The Global Tax Group is led by Mark Taylor, and the new legal group will work closely with the tax group to deliver integrated solutions in cross-border projects.

“This project represents a natural step in our evolution. It allows us to enhance the value of legal services within the network, strengthen them and structure them to provide closer, more coordinated, professional support tailored to the international challenges and needs of our clients,” said Pizá Nerín in a statement Wednesday.

Kreston Global recorded a 39% increase in network revenue this past year, reaching $4.3 billion. The network has over 155 firms in 800+ offices and over 30,000 professionals worldwide in more than 110 countries worldwide, including the U.S., where its most prominent member firm is CBIZ in Cleveland. 

While most CPA firms are legally barred from operating law firms in the U.S., the practice is more common in Europe and other parts of the world, where Andersen Global offers legal services in a number of countries. The state of Arizona is one place in the U.S. where at least two accounting firms have set up legal businesses. The Arizona Supreme Court allowed KPMG to form KPMG Law US last year, and Atlanta-based Aprio to launch Aprio Legal LLC after acquiring Radix Law, based in Scottsdale, by operating them as “alternative business structures.”