PRA2605. M&A in 2026: How Forward-Thinking Firms Win in Today’s Environment

The CPA profession is experiencing one of the most active, complex, and transformative M&A cycles in its history. Private equity, consolidators, and nontraditional investors are reshaping the competitive landscape, while traditional mergers continue to accelerate across all firm sizes. This session will unpack what is happening in today’s market—why the volume is so high, what is driving valuations, and how the entrance of new capital is changing the rules of the game.
But this conversation doesn't stop with “Who is being acquired?” or “What deal happened last week?” We will also reframe M&A as a proactive growth strategy—one that every firm can leverage to acquire talent, expand advisory capabilities, gain scale, strengthen independence, and build long-term enterprise value. Rather than viewing M&A only through the lens of sellers, attendees will explore how future-ready firms use M&A to shape their destiny. This is an opportunity to replace fear with insight and replace uncertainty with strategy—so leaders walk away understanding both the current market and their path forward in it.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the current M&A environment in the CPA profession
• Interpret the strategic implications of current market activity
• Assess ways firms of any size can participate as acquirers
• Evaluate internal readiness factors—such as governance, capital, culture, leadership discipline, and integration capability