Pershing Yoakley & Associates and GatesMoore Announce Merger

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Two leading healthcare accounting and consulting firms will merge January 1, officials of Pershing Yoakley & Associates and GatesMoore announced Thursday.

The combined companies will have more than 180 employees in offices in Atlanta, Austin, Knoxville, and Tampa Bay, PYA President Ed Pershing said. GatesMoore will bring approximately 50 professionals and staff to the company, Greg Gates, cofounder of the Atlanta firm, said.

"Over our nearly 30 years, we have never seriously considered a merger or acquisition," Gates said. "When PYA approached us about how our two companies might work together to better service physicians, hospitals and the entire healthcare community, we were anxious to hear them out.

"Today we announce a merger that increases our resources to serve physicians, hospitals and healthcare systems in this era of tremendous change and uncertainty."

Marty Brown, PYA Principal in charge of healthcare consulting, said GatesMoore is widely known and respected for its leadership in serving the healthcare industry. "For example, both physician services and fair market value reporting are core service lines of PYA," Brown said. "The outstanding work GatesMoore does in these areas will complement and strengthen our offerings in these two important areas. We are really excited about what we can accomplish together in the future."

Nancy McConnell, president of GatesMoore, said she looks forward to joining forces with PYA. "Through our professional organizations here in Georgia, we know many of the individuals in PYA's Atlanta and Knoxville offices. We certainly know of the excellent reputation they and their colleagues enjoy in serving the healthcare industry.

"The majority of our work is in serving physicians and healthcare organizations, with one of our core service lines being business advisory services. As I look to the future, it is thrilling to think about what our combined staffs can offer existing and new clients."

GatesMoore was founded in 1982 and serves clients in Georgia and several other southeastern states. PYA was established a year later in 1983 by Pershing and Doug Yoakley and has grown to a staff of 130 in its four offices. PYA serves clients in 48 states and the Virgin Islands, and is ranked by "Modern Healthcare" as the nation's 12th largest privately held healthcare management consulting firm.

In 2009, "Forbes" named GatesMoore one of eight "Leading Providers of the United States of Accounting Professionals." For the last three years, Greg Gates has been listed by "Atlanta Magazine" as Atlanta's Five Star Wealth Manager 2011: Best in Client Satisfaction. Ed Pershing noted that these accomplishments were "just two of the many reasons PYA knew GatesMoore would be an exceptional partner in today's challenging business climate."

SOURCE Pershing Yoakley & Associates