Horton, Lee, Burnett, Peacock, Cleveland & Grainger

What Horton, Lee, Burnett, Peacock, Cleveland & Grainger does

Horton, Lee, Burnett, Peacock, Cleveland & Grainger (operating as Horton, Lee & Burnett) was a privately held accounting and advisory firm founded in 1967 and headquartered at 3800 Colonnade Pkwy, Suite 500, Birmingham, Alabama. The firm served local and regional privately held businesses, nonprofits, national businesses, and global entities across industry verticals including captive insurance, construction, distribution, franchising, healthcare, hospitality, independent schools, insurance, manufacturing, professional services, and real estate. It was organized around a partner-led, office-based service delivery model with an 11–50 employee headcount operating in the Southeastern United States.

The firm's service portfolio spanned eight core practice areas: Accounting (day-to-day financial operations support), Assurance (financial audits, employee benefit plan audits, and SOC 1/2/3 reporting), Advisory (internal audit, litigation support, process automation), Cyber Risk Management (risk assessments and ISO 27001 certification services), Finance Consulting (planning, analytics, treasury, finance transformation), Human Capital Consulting (HR leadership, talent strategy, compensation benchmarking), Tax Services (business tax, multistate tax, international tax, private client tax), and Transaction Advisory (financial due diligence, transaction-related tax). Its underlying technology stack consisted of standard accounting and audit platforms used by CPA firms for financial reporting, tax preparation, and assurance services, with no proprietary technology, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed.

The business operated on a professional services revenue model — fee-based engagements negotiated individually based on scope, complexity, and client size — with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. Distribution was direct through the Birmingham office via partner-led client relationships. In September 2025, the firm was acquired by Smith + Howard, a nationally recognized Atlanta-based accounting and advisory firm ranked #83 on INSIDE Public Accounting's Top 500 CPA Firms. The acquisition repositioned the firm within Smith + Howard's alternative practice structure (Smith & Howard PC and Smith & Howard Advisory LLC), marking the parent's entry into Alabama and expanding its Southeastern US footprint while giving Horton, Lee & Burnett clients access to a broader suite of specialized tax, advisory, and consulting services.

Name

Horton, Lee, Burnett, Peacock, Cleveland & Grainger

Legal name

Horton, Lee, Burnett, Peacock, Cleveland & Grainger

Website

https://hortonlee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Horton, Lee & Burnett was a Birmingham, Alabama-based accounting and advisory firm founded in 1967, serving privately held businesses, nonprofits, and multi-state clients across 12+ industries. Acquired by Smith + Howard in September 2025, it now operates as part of that nationally ranked (#83 Top 500) CPA platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services: Accounting, assurance, tax, advisory, and consulting services delivered through professional staff billing. Revenue generated from client engagements across multiple service lines including audit, tax preparation, business advisory, litigation support, process automation, cyber risk management, finance consulting, human capital consulting, and transaction advisory.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Horton, Lee & Burnett is a Birmingham, Alabama-based CPA firm providing accounting, audit and assurance, tax, advisory, cyber risk management, finance consulting, human capital, and transaction advisory services to privately held businesses, nonprofits, and multi-state/international entities. Founded in 1967, the firm delivers engagements through partner-led client relationships and was acquired by Smith + Howard in September 2025, expanding its service capabilities into the Southeastern U.S.

Product overview

Horton, Lee & Burnett, now operating as Smith + Howard following its September 2025 acquisition by the Atlanta-based accounting and advisory firm Smith + Howard, delivers a comprehensive suite of professional services organized as an integrated practice. The portfolio spans core service lines including: Accounting (day-to-day financial operations support); Assurance (Audits, Employee Benefit Plans, and SOC Reporting); Advisory (Internal Audit, Litigation Support, and Process Automation/Improvement); Cyber Risk Management (including Cyber Risk Assessments and ISO 27001 Certification Services); Finance Consulting; Human Capital Consulting; Tax Services (Business Tax and Private Client Tax Services); and Transaction Advisory (Financial Due Diligence and Transaction Advisory Tax Services). Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, the firm serves privately held businesses, nonprofits, national businesses, and global entities across industries including construction, distribution, franchising, healthcare, hospitality, insurance, manufacturing, nonprofit, professional services, and real estate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accounting Services

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Smith + HowardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025Smith + Howard, a nationally recognized accounting and advisory firm headquartered in Atlanta, acquired Horton, Lee, Burnett, Peacock, Cleveland & Grainger. This acquisition marks Smith + Howard's entry into Alabama and enhances its presence in the Southeastern United States. The partnership allows Horton, Lee & Burnett clients access to a broader suite of services including specialized tax, advisory, and consulting solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Eide Bailly: Top 25 US accounting and advisory firm with similar mid-market focus, multi-state presence, and industry-specialized practices (construction, healthcare, government, tribal nations). Closely comparable regional-mid-market CPA peer.
• Carr, Riggs & Ingram: Top 25 US accounting and advisory firm with strong Southeast presence and similar multi-vertical industry specialization (including construction, healthcare, nonprofit, manufacturing). Closely comparable regional-mid-market CPA firm profile.
• Wipfli LLP: Top 20 US accounting and consulting firm serving middle-market businesses with a comparable mix of audit, tax, advisory, and industry-specialized services. Similar multi-vertical industry expertise and mid-market client focus.
• Dixon Hughes Goodman: Top 20 US accounting and advisory firm (now part of Forvis) with deep Southeast presence and comparable industry specialization in healthcare, financial services, construction, and government. Closely comparable regional CPA peer with similar service breadth.
• Cherry Bekaert: Mid-size national accounting and advisory firm with a strong Southeast footprint and similar industry-specialized practices in healthcare, construction, government, and private equity. Closely comparable mid-market CPA peer.
• Whitley Penn: Mid-size regional CPA firm with comparable full-service offerings (audit, tax, advisory, transaction services) and similar industry specialization including energy, real estate, healthcare, and nonprofit. Closely comparable mid-market peer in size and scope.

Broad incumbents

• Plante Moran: Large US accounting and advisory firm serving middle-market companies with comparable industry specialization (manufacturing, healthcare, financial services) and an integrated tax, audit, and consulting service model.
• Smith + Howard: Parent company since the September 2025 acquisition. A nationally recognized accounting and advisory firm headquartered in Atlanta, ranked #83 on INSIDE Public Accounting's Top 500 CPA Firms. Directly comparable service portfolio across accounting, tax, advisory, and transaction services.
• Crowe LLP: Top 10 US accounting and consulting firm with comparable audit, tax, advisory, and risk services for middle-market and large enterprises. Broader scale and national reach, but overlapping client profiles in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing.
• Forvis (formerly BKD): Top 10 US accounting firm formed via BKD and Dixon Hughes Goodman merger. Comparable full-service accounting, tax, and advisory offerings to middle-market clients across multiple industries including healthcare, financial services, and construction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/horton-lee-burnett-peacock-cleveland-grainger-p-c

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Horton, Lee, Burnett, Peacock, Cleveland & Grainger