Professional Services Spring 2026 Report
For the first quarter of 2026, 129 professional services M&A transactions were announced in the U.S, a 13% increase compared to Q1 2025, but a 3% decrease from Q4 2025. The year/year increase was driven by transaction volume growth in the Accounting, Tax & Advisory sector as private equity fueled consolidation continued. Thirty-five (35) buyers announced transactions during the first quarter. Nine (9) of the 35 announced more than one transaction during the quarter; the most active buyers included private equity backed firms such as Doeren Mayhew (Audax), Aprio (Charlesbank Capital Partners), and Cherry Bekaert LLP (Parthenon Capital).
Consulting deal volume was down 10% compared to Q1 2025 but continued to represent the largest source of professional services M&A deal announcements. More than fifty (50) buyers announced consulting transactions during the first quarter of 2026. Private equity firms such as Coalesce Capital and Trinity Hunt Partners announced new investments in specialty consulting firms.
Legal Services deal announcements in the quarter included combinations of law firms focused on civil defense, insurance litigation, and intellectual property and acquisitions of litigation support businesses.
Combined Consulting and Accounting, Tax & Advisory comprised more than three quarters of professional services deal volume. Legal Services represented another 10% of professional services deal volume.
Professional Services M&A Deal Count by Segment
Professional Services Total M&A Deal Count
Prior to joining FOCUS, Ms. Taylor worked in product marketing and business analytics roles at AOL. In her role as Director of Business Operations and Analysis at AOL, she led a team responsible for providing analysis, reporting, and strategic recommendations for products generating more than $150 million in annual revenue. She also managed 20+ cross-company initiatives which doubled the retention rate of canceling AOL subscription members as users of AOL’s free, advertising supported products.
Before that, Ms. Taylor was a management consultant and case team leader at Bain & Company, where she worked closely with client management teams, including C-level executives, to deliver measurable financial and operational improvements to businesses in a wide range of industries. Her engagements at Bain included identifying growth and cost savings opportunities, developing implementation plans, and performing investment due diligence.
Ms. Taylor received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a B.A. in economics from Wellesley College. She is also a CFA charter holder and holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 79 licenses.
