BKD, LLP

BKD, LLP, formerly Baird, Kurtz & Dobson, is one of the largest U.S. accounting and advisory firms,^[1] providing consulting, tax, assurance and accounting outsourcing solutions to businesses, government entities, not-for-profit organizations and individuals.

BKD is headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, and has 34 offices in 15 states. In 2014, the firm reported revenues of $475 million and approximately 2,250 personnel, including roughly 260 partners.^[2]

History

In 1922, three men—William Baird, Wade Kurtz and Claire Dobson—decided to start their own firm with offices in Kansas City and Joplin, Missouri, after the disbandment of the Montgomery Firm, where the three had been employed. On January 2, 1923, the men took the $1,700 they had in the bank and opened their business: Baird, Kurtz & Dobson.^[3]

Initially, the firm looked to expand to St. Louis and Chicago, but the 1929 stock market crash and subsequent Great Depression curtailed growth, forcing the form to build its clientele and reputation in Kansas City and Joplin.

After World War II, a growth period began. A third office opened in Springfield, Missouri, in July 1948, and a uranium boom led the firm to purchase a tax practice in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The 1960s represented a period of significant change. In 1964, the firm drafted its formal partnership agreement, which still exists today. The passage of the Medicare Act in 1965 led the firm to focus on growing its health care practice, which today constitutes the firm’s largest industry focus.

Expansion continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with the firm opening new offices in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Nebraska and Kentucky.

Since that time, steady growth has continued. The firm created its first wholly owned subsidiary, BKD Corporate Finance, LLC, in 1994 and passed the $100 million revenue mark in 1999. The firm created its charitable arm, the BKD Foundation, in 2000; since making its first charitable gift in February 2000, the foundation has given more than $9 million to qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations.

The firm undertook its largest merger in 2001, combining with Olive LLP to create BKD, LLP, which was the eighth-largest U.S. accounting firm at the time. That year also marked a name change for BKD Investment Advisors, founded in 1998, to BKD Wealth Advisors, LLC.

Today, the firm claims 34 offices in 15 states, making it one of the largest accounting firms in the United States.

Subsidiaries

• BKD Corporate Finance, LLC - Provides corporate finance services, including mergers, acquisitions, sales, recapitalizations, management buyouts, ESOPs and financing services
• BKD Wealth Advisors, LLC - An independent wealth management firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission for affluent individuals and their families; boasts more than $2 billion in assets under management
• BKD Insurance, LLC - A NASD-registered broker-dealer and wholly owned subsidiary of BKD, LLP

Divisions

• BKD Technologies - Offering information technology solutions
• Enterprise Risk Solutions - Services to help address operational, financial, strategic, regulatory and technology risks and controls
• Forensics & Valuation Services - Business valuation, forensics and fraud investigation services
• Loan Review Services - Helping financial institutions assess loan portfolio quality and repayment risk of selected borrowers
• State & Local Tax (SALT) Services
• International Tax Services

References