HA&W, LLP, announced it has opened an office in New York City. The office will initially focus on merger and acquisition due diligence, structuring and information risk management and assurance services. This marks HA&W’s first office expansion in its 63-year history.

“The firm’s ties to New York City are a critical part of its recent growth in these key service areas. Our M&A Transaction Services practice works closely with the New York private equity community and is focused on the mid-market globally,” said Richard Kopelman, HA&W CEO and managing partner. “One-third of our information risk management client base is located in the New York area. We will leverage our relationships to expand that practice as cybersecurity threats continue to grow around the world.”

“Having a hub in New York City will allow our New York-area clients to have professional resources nearby, supported by the team of best-in-class professionals in Atlanta,” Kopelman added.

To support the New York location, HA&W has added two directors, John Ruckstuhl and Scott Mahoney, to oversee the new office. Ruckstuhl will serve as Managing Director of Merger & Acquisition Transaction Services with more than 15 years of transactional services experience at two global CPA firms. During his career he has worked on transactions with deal sizes from $5 million to $2 billion. Ruckstuhl, specializes in the manufacturing, distribution, financial services, consumer products, technology and retail industries.

Mahoney has been named Director of Information Assurance Services. He was previously a Director within the New York Financial Services practice for KPMG. He specializes in information technology risk and control, including SSAE 16 and SOC2 reporting, risk assessments, SOX 404 testing and internal audit co-sourcing.

“Through our M&A and Information Assurance practices, HA&W demonstrates that it is more than just a traditional tax and accounting services firm. We aim to be true business advisors to our clients, in every sense of the word,” Kopelman said.