Denman & Co. LLP, a West Des Moines-based certified public accounting firm, announced that it is combining with another local firm, Buckley & Co. LLP. The acquisition will maintain Denman’s rank as one of the largest locally based CPA firms in Iowa, with 63 employees and 11 partners.

“Acquisitions of professional firms such as Buckley & Co. allow us to expand our base for growth in the core areas of tax, assurance services and consulting,” said Tom Ahlers, managing partner of Denman, in a press release.

Buckley employees will move to the Denman offices at 1601 22nd St. in May. Both companies expect the transition to be smooth, saying that they share similar work cultures and use the same tax software system.

Buckley has specialized in real estate and construction taxes since it was established in 1989. It also focuses on litigation support, mergers and acquisitions and succession planning. Denman, which was founded in 1954, offers a range of services in areas including assurance, tax and business consulting, litigation support and succession planning.