International wealth manager, Financial Planner and professional services firm Azets has acquired Scottish Financial Planner and chartered accountancy firm Milne Craig in a major deal for the financial services sector north of the border.

Azets is one of the UK's largest professional services firms with 3,800 staff in the UK serving 100,000 clients from 72 offices. It also operates in six countries and has 189 offices across Europe.

In the UK Azets provides wealth management and Financial Planning as well as accountancy and other professional services.

Glasgow-based Milne Craig has more than 90 employees and more than 2,000 clients in Scotland and throughout the UK.

City of London-based Azets says the acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, will bolster Azets’ accounting, tax, audit, corporate finance, payroll and wealth management services.

Milne Craig is based in Paisley near Glasgow and was founded more than 100 years ago. It provides director-led support of private clients, family businesses and charities in Scotland and throughout the UK.

The Milne Craig Financial Services division was founded in 1995 and has grown to 17 Chartered advisers and support staff offering Financial Planning services including pensions, investments, family wealth planning, corporate investment and inheritance tax planning.

Milne Craig says the deal provides Milne Craig’s 2,000 clients with access to a “greater breadth and depth of advice in the UK and internationally as part of Azets.”

Kate Brown will continue to lead Milne Craig’s Financial Planning team which will rebrand as Azets Wealth Management.

She said: “I’ve been delighted to lead the development of Milne Craig’s Wealth Management offering over the past 25 years. I’m excited to continue this within Azets, a firm of significant scale that will give us great opportunities to develop our team and service offering further and remaining together with the Milne Craig colleagues in other parts of our business as we all join Azets.

“The team will continue to focus on supporting clients with their growth journey. We see clear synergies between Milne Craig and Azets and our strong focus on client service and needs in Scotland and beyond will continue.”

Mark Parkinson, CEO of Azets Wealth Management, said: “Many people at Azets and Milne Craig already know and have worked with each other over a period of many years, so we are well aware of the quality and specialist expertise our new colleagues will bring. From those existing relationships to the proximity of our offices in Glasgow, we immediately identified a strong cultural fit.

“Importantly, the services that Milne Craig offers deepens Azets’ expertise. We are thrilled to welcome Kate and the Financial Services team into Azets, marking the latest milestone on the group’s growth journey.”

Blick Rothenberg, London’s international corporate and private tax and accounting brand, and Nordic-based companies Azets Consulting, Legeregnskap, Luotsi Isännöinti, and Idur are part of Azets.

Azets was advised by Shoosmiths, led by Simon Procter (Partner).