Hilborn

Accounting and Advisory Serviceshilbornca.com

Toronto-based full-service accounting firm founded in 1930, serving private enterprises and not-for-profit organizations across Canada with assurance, tax, and business advisory services through a partner-led delivery model.

Company typePrivate
Founded1930
HeadquartersToronto, Canada
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Hilborn does

Hilborn LLP is a privately held, Toronto-based full-service accounting firm founded in 1930 and structured as an Ontario Limited Liability Partnership. It operates from a single office at 375 University Avenue and serves two principal client segments: for-profit private enterprises across professional services, financial services, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, retail, and food and beverage industries, and not-for-profit organizations including charities, foundations, member-based associations, regulatory colleges, legal aid clinics, and health centres. The firm is led by Managing Partner I. Blair MacKenzie alongside eight additional partners, all holding CPA designations, with 11-50 total employees.

The firm delivers three interconnected service lines: Assurance & Accounting (audits, reviews, compilations, and consulting), Tax Services (personal, corporate, trust, international, and HST matters), and Business Advisory (estate planning, succession planning, M&A, corporate reorganizations, governance, and internal controls). A notable specialization is the audit and advisory work performed for IIROC- and OSC-regulated broker dealers and investment fund managers, led by partner Lanjun Wang. The firm holds PIPEDA and AODA compliance posture and participates in industry bodies including IAPA and BHD.

The business model is partner-led and relationship-driven. Revenue is generated on a professional services basis, billed against chargeable hours with explicit annual targets by staff level. Go-to-market relies on referrals, partner networking, direct client relationships, and a modest digital presence via LinkedIn, Facebook, and the firm's website. There is no software product, no technology platform, no disclosed revenue, and no external investor or parent company; ownership is held entirely within the partner group in line with traditional professional services firm structures.

Hilborn firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Hilborn
Legal name: Hilborn LLP
Website: https://hilbornca.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1930
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: Toronto-based full-service accounting firm founded in 1930, serving private enterprises and not-for-profit organizations across Canada with assurance, tax, and business advisory services through a partner-led delivery model.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Hilborn industry classification

Industry

Product category: Accounting and Advisory Services
NAICS: Finance and Insurance (52)
akta.pro primary industry: Estate, Gift & Trust Valuation (BPAHANAL)
akta.pro secondary industry: Private Client/High-Net-Worth Advisory (FSAEAAAN)

Keywords

Audit and assurance services
Tax planning services
Business advisory consulting
Accounting services
Estate and succession planning

Where Hilborn is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Toronto
HQ country: Canada
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Hilborn business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Assurance & Accounting Services: Professional services revenue generated through audit, review, compilation, and consulting engagements for for-profit and not-for-profit clients. Billed based on chargeable hours with annual targets (e.g., 1,600 chargeable hours for Senior Associates).
Tax Services: Tax return preparation and planning services for individuals, corporations, partnerships, trusts, and not-for-profit organizations. Includes personal income tax (T1), corporate income tax (T2), trust income tax (T3), and international tax matters.
Business Advisory Services: Advisory engagements including estate planning, succession planning, corporate reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, sale of business, governance, and internal controls consulting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Hilborn product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Hilborn LLP is a Toronto-based full-service accounting firm providing assurance and accounting (audits, reviews, compilations, consulting), tax services (personal, corporate, trust, not-for-profit, international, HST), and business advisory services (estate and succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, governance, internal controls) to for-profit enterprises, not-for-profit organizations, family-owned businesses, high net worth families, and regulatory entities in Canada.

Product overview

Hilborn LLP is a full-service accounting firm offering three interconnected service lines: Assurance & Accounting (audits, reviews, compilations, consulting), Business Advisory (estate/succession planning, M&A, corporate reorganizations, governance), and Tax Services (personal/corporate returns, not-for-profit tax, international tax, HST). The firm serves for-profit private enterprises across diverse industries as well as not-for-profit organizations. No software or technology product platform is offered—the firm provides traditional professional accounting and advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Assurance & Accounting Services Full-service assurance and accounting offerings including audits, reviews, compilations, and consulting engagements for for-profit private enterprises and not-for-profit organizations across multiple industries.
Business Advisory Services
Tax Services

Companies that use Hilborn

Customer profile

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Hilborn technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Hilborn partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

IAPA (International Association of Professional Accountants)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHilborn LLP is affiliated with IAPA, an international accounting association. John Campbell serves on the Board of IAPA. The partnership provides networking and professional resources within the international accounting community.
BHD (Accounting Association)minorOthersJohn Campbell serves on the Board of BHD, a national accounting association. This provides the firm with connections and visibility within the Canadian accounting profession.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Hilborn competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Crowe Soberman LLP: Toronto-based mid-tier full-service accounting firm offering audit, tax, and advisory services to private enterprises, HNW individuals, and family-owned businesses. Closest geographic and service-line comparable to Hilborn.
Manning Elliott LLP: Vancouver-based mid-tier accounting firm serving private enterprises and owner-managed businesses with audit, tax, and advisory services. Similar in scale, service scope, and target client profile to Hilborn.
Smythe LLP: Vancouver-based mid-tier chartered professional accounting firm providing audit, tax, and business advisory to private companies, owner-managed businesses, and NPOs. Comparable in size and service mix to Hilborn.

Broad incumbents

Deloitte LLP Canada: Big Four professional services firm offering audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory. Overlaps with Hilborn in regulated industries, NPO advisory, and HNW family services but with vastly greater resources.
EY Canada: Big Four accounting firm with assurance, tax, transaction advisory, and consulting services. Competes with Hilborn in regulated sectors, mid-market private enterprises, and succession/estate planning for HNW families.
PwC Canada: Big Four firm providing assurance, tax, and advisory services across Canada. Competes with Hilborn for mid-market private clients, NPOs, and family-owned businesses seeking full-service professional support.
Grant Thornton Canada: National mid-tier accounting firm providing audit, tax, and advisory services to private mid-market companies and NPOs. Competes with Hilborn for similar client segments but operates across multiple provinces and internationally.
KPMG LLP Canada: Big Four accounting firm in Canada providing audit, tax, and advisory services across all major industries. Competes with Hilborn for larger mid-market private clients and IIROC/OSC-regulated broker dealers and investment fund managers.
BDO Canada LLP: National mid-tier accounting and advisory firm in Canada offering audit, tax, and consulting across all major industries. Competes with Hilborn for mid-market private and NPO clients but with materially greater scale and resources.
MNP LLP: One of Canada's largest national accounting and business advisory firms with deep mid-market and NPO expertise. Overlaps directly with Hilborn in serving private enterprises, family-owned businesses, and not-for-profit organizations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Hilborn compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance2 records

Hilborn financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Hilborn leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Hilborn funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Hilborn M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Hilborn

What does Hilborn do?

Is Hilborn a public or private company?

Hilborn is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.

When was Hilborn founded?

Hilborn was founded in 1930. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Hilborn based?

Hilborn is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.

How does Hilborn make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Assurance & Accounting Services are the primary driver. The others are tax Services and business Advisory Services.

Who are Hilborn's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Crowe Soberman LLP, Manning Elliott LLP and Smythe LLP. Broad incumbents are Deloitte LLP Canada, EY Canada, PwC Canada, Grant Thornton Canada, KPMG LLP Canada, BDO Canada LLP and MNP LLP.

Does Hilborn have an API?

No public API is recorded for Hilborn.

What industry is Hilborn in?

Hilborn's product category is Accounting and Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHANAL, Estate, Gift & Trust Valuation, with a secondary code of FSAEAAAN, Private Client/High-Net-Worth Advisory. Its NAICS code is 52.