S&W
S&W is a UK-based professional services group delivering accounting, tax, audit, corporate finance, restructuring, risk advisory and digital services to mid-market and large enterprises, private equity, family offices and high-net-worth individuals across the UK, Ireland and France.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1880
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What S&W does
S&W is a UK-headquartered professional services group founded in 1880 (originally as Smith & Williamson, most recently rebranded from Evelyn Partners). It delivers accounting advisory, tax compliance and planning, statutory and non-statutory audit and assurance, corporate finance and transaction support, restructuring and insolvency, risk advisory, regulatory consulting, forensic accounting, economic advisory and digital services to a diversified client base of mid-market and large enterprises, private clients and family offices across the UK, Ireland and, more recently, France. Sector coverage spans charities, financial services, fintech, hospitality, landed estates, manufacturing, private equity, professional partners, public sector, quoted companies, real estate, renewable energy and technology.
The firm operates through 11+ physical offices and a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries — including regional LLPs, French entities (Vachon, Fiduciaire Haussmann, Roc'h Accounting) and recently acquired brands such as Beechwood Partners, ClearViewIP, MC2 Accountants, Peppercorn Tax, Haines Watts Scotland and Fredward. Service delivery is people-led; underlying technology consists of standard enterprise platforms for accounting, tax and audit workflows, plus marketing technologies (Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, HotJar, GetSiteControl) and AML tooling (Refinitiv). Cross-border coverage is supported by memberships in the CLA Global network and Oaklins International (operating as Oaklins S&W).
S&W generates revenue through professional services fees — primarily project-based and recurring engagements priced per scope on a quote basis, with multi-year client relationships and no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. The business is privately held and backed by Apax Funds, which have financed an aggressive acquisition-led growth strategy executing at least seven transactions since August 2025 and at least 1,001–5,000 employees (over 2,000 cited) across the group. Distribution is direct B2B and B2C through the office network; the firm supplements this with content marketing, social media presence, an "Insights" thought-leadership programme, and events/webinars.
S&W firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- S&W
- Legal name
- S&W Partners Group Limited
- Website
- https://swgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1880
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- S&W is a UK-based professional services group delivering accounting, tax, audit, corporate finance, restructuring, risk advisory and digital services to mid-market and large enterprises, private equity, family offices and high-net-worth individuals across the UK, Ireland and France.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
S&W industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Accounting & Professional Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA), Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB)
Keywords
Where S&W is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices11 records
Markets served
S&W business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Services Fees: S&W generates revenue through fees for professional services including accounting advisory, tax services (personal and business), audit and assurance, corporate finance, restructuring, risk advisory, and consulting services. Revenue is primarily project-based and recurring client engagements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom pricing based on service scope and client requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
S&W product offering
Product offeringCore offering
S&W is a UK-based professional services group providing accounting, tax, audit and assurance, corporate finance, and advisory services. The firm serves businesses, individuals, and families across the UK and Ireland through a network of regional offices, delivering regulated and advisory engagements under multiple legal entities.
Product overview
S&W is a professional services group offering a comprehensive portfolio of services organized around core accounting, tax, advisory, and consulting capabilities. The service portfolio includes Accounting Advisory, Advisory Consulting, Audit and Assurance, Business Outsourcing Services, Business Tax, Corporate Finance and Transactions, Digital Services, Economic Advisory, Forensic Services, Personal Tax Services, Regulatory Consulting, Restructuring Services, Risk Advisory, and International Expansion Services. The firm serves diverse sectors including charities, entrepreneurs, family offices, financial services, fintech, hospitality, landed estates, manufacturing, private equity, professional partners, public sector, quoted companies, real estate, renewable energy, and technology. S&W operates across the UK and Ireland with offices supporting businesses from startup growth through exit at every lifecycle stage.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Audit and Assurance
Companies that use S&W
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
S&W technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
S&W partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- CLA Global LimitedminorS&W Partners LLP is an independent network member of CLA Global Limited, an international accounting and advisory network providing access to global expertise and resources for international client engagements.
- Oaklins International Inc.minorS&W Partners Corporate Finance Limited is a member of Oaklins International Inc., operating as Oaklins S&W for corporate finance advisory services, providing international M&A and deal capabilities.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
S&W competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PKF Smith Cooper: PKF Smith Cooper is a UK mid-tier full-service accountancy firm with comparable service breadth and mid-market target clients, making it a relevant direct peer for benchmarking.
- MHA: MHA is a top-20 UK accountancy and advisory group with national coverage, providing comparable services across audit, tax and advisory to mid-sized businesses — directly relevant to S&W.
- BDO UK: BDO is the closest mid-tier full-service accounting, audit, tax and advisory peer to S&W in the UK, competing for the same mid-market and listed-company mandates with a comparable multi-office and multi-sector footprint.
- Mazars UK: Mazars operates a directly comparable UK accounting, tax and advisory franchise with similar international network affiliations and overlapping mid-market and SME client segments.
- Grant Thornton UK: Grant Thornton is a top-tier mid-market accounting and advisory firm in the UK, the natural competitor to S&W for listed-company audit, transaction advisory and outsourcing work.
- RSM UK: RSM is a direct mid-tier competitor in audit, tax and consulting with strong mid-market presence and international network affiliation, very comparable to S&W's positioning.
- Crowe UK: Crowe competes directly with S&W in mid-market audit, tax and advisory work and is of broadly similar scale and sector breadth in the UK.
- Azets: Azets is itself a PE-backed roll-up of UK and Nordic accounting firms and is one of the closest comparables for S&W's growth-via-acquisition strategy and broad service portfolio.
- Moore Kingston Smith: Moore Kingston Smith is a sizeable UK mid-tier firm focused on owner-managed businesses, charities and financial services — overlapping significantly with S&W's sector and client mix.
Broad incumbents
- PwC UK: PwC is one of the Big 4 and a broader incumbent operating across S&W's categories of audit, tax and advisory; it competes most directly for larger mandates and senior talent, including several S&W hires coming from PwC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
S&W social profiles
Digital presenceS&W compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
S&W financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
S&W leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
S&W subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries45 records
S&W funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
S&W M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A7 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about S&W
What does S&W do?
S&W is a UK-based professional services group providing accounting, tax, audit and assurance, corporate finance, and advisory services. The firm serves businesses, individuals, and families across the UK and Ireland through a network of regional offices, delivering regulated and advisory engagements under multiple legal entities.
Is S&W a public or private company?
S&W is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was S&W founded?
S&W was founded in 1880. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is S&W based?
S&W is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does S&W make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services Fees.
Who are S&W's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PKF Smith Cooper, MHA, BDO UK, Mazars UK, Grant Thornton UK, RSM UK, Crowe UK, Azets and Moore Kingston Smith. PwC UK is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does S&W have an API?
No public API is recorded for S&W.
What industry is S&W in?
S&W's product category is Accounting & Professional Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHADAC, M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side), with a secondary code of FSAEAGAA, Sell-Side M&A Advisory. Its NAICS code is 541 and its SIC code is 8700.