By Joe Michalczyk, CPAThe amount of global deals is growing at a staggering rate, increasing the need for thorough diligence. In 2006, global deal value surpassed the $4 trillion mark, up from $3 trillion in 2005. The number of transactions increased globally from 35,329 in 2005 to 39,120 in 2006.Last year, U.S.-focused funds raised an incredible $252 billion - $80 billion more than the amount raised in 2005, according to Thompson Financial. This amount includes the $130 billion raised by U.S.

Maybe there's something in the water – many accounting firms are joining forces as the year comes to a close. Here are the latest entries on the merger roster:In Indiana, Kemper CPA Group, with 27 offices in Illinois, Indiana, California, Florida, and Kentucky, has announced a merger with Evansville, Indiana-based Wright Consultants. Wright Consultants' 12 employees will move its offices to the Kemper location in Evansville, IN. Kemper CPA Group, ranked among the top 100 CPA firms in the country, has 58 partners and more than 250 members on its professional staff.

Coral Gables, FL-based Lefcourt, Billig, Tiktin & Yesner specializes in complex estate, trust and gift-tax-planning strategies and complex corporate and partnership tax consulting. Its four name partners - Jeffrey Lefcourt, Robert Billig, Steven Tiktin and Jack Yesner - have joined Berenfeld, Spritzer, Shechter & Sheer LLP's Coral Gables office, according to a report in the South Florida Business Journal.

J.H. Cohn LLP, the largest independent accounting and consulting firm in the Northeast, has combined its services with Marden, Harrison & Kreuter, CPAs, P.C. of White Plains, New York, effective July 19. The former Marden, Harrison & Kreuter will operate as Marden, Harrison & Kreuter, A Division of J.H. Cohn. Marden, Harrison & Kreuter is a full-service accounting and consulting firm, with more than 50 professionals and a diverse client base which include real estate developers and construction contractors. The firm offers a broad spectrum of accounting, tax and consulting services.

David McDonnell, chief executive officer of Grant Thornton International has announced the merger between Grant Thornton's Irish member firm and RSM Robson Rhodes in Ireland, which follows on from the merger of Grant Thornton UK LLP and the UK division of RSM Robson Rhodes LLP. The merger creates a firm with the depth of resource, expert capability and market credibility to make it the leader in its chosen marketplaces. The new organization will now operate as Grant Thornton Ireland, as the merger was completed on 1 July 2007.

Public accounting and consulting firm Crowe Chizek and Co. LLC has announced its intention to combine practices with Enterprise Financial Consulting Group LLC, a Mount Laurel, N.J.-based provider of risk management consulting, internal audit, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, and technical accounting.The two firms will operate under the Crowe name. No financial terms were disclosed for the dealCrowe Group LLP, parent company of Crowe Chizek, is one of the 10 largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S.

Thomson Tax & Accounting, a business segment of The Thomson Corporation, and a leading provider of information solutions to tax and accounting professionals, has announced that it has acquired Employee Benefits Institute of America Inc. (EBIA), a leading provider of employee benefits research and guidance to benefits professionals in corporations and professional advisory firms. The Edmonds, Washington-based company will join the Research & Guidance business of Thomson Tax & Accounting, expanding the company's position as a leading provider of end-to-end research and guidance services.

J.H. Cohn LLP, the largest independent accounting and consulting firm in the Northeast, combined practices with Haggett Longobardi in Glastonbury, CT, one of the largest regional accounting firms in New England, effective June 1. The Connecticut office will operate as Haggett Longobardi, A Division of J.H.

Alliott Group North America, a division of Alliott Group, A Worldwide Network of Independent Firms, announced the admission of DCS Chartered Accountants to its membership.The admission of DCS brings the membership to twenty-six in the North American Region.