Pictured: Jeremy Cope

Midlands accountancy and business advisory firm Smith Cooper (which has offices in Derby, Alfreton , Ashbourne and Buxton) is delighted to announce that it has joined the Alliott Group - a worldwide alliance of independent accounting, law and consultancy firms.

The move means that Smith Cooper will be part of a network of 170 offices in 70 countries worldwide - and the only firm in the UK outside of London.

Jeremy Cope, partner in Smith Cooper's Birmingham office, says:

"With more and more business being conducted cross-border it has become very important for us to be able to support our clients internationally by being able to refer them to known advisors overseas."

Jeremy says that when Smith Cooper is pitching for new work, the need to show that the business has good international connections is paramount. 

He added: "In order to address this issue we have decided to join the Alliott Group, a worldwide association of independent professional firms. Smith Cooper is now the only UK firm outside of London to be a member of the Group."

Membership of Alliott Group allows firms to both retain and attract business through the ability to connect with likeminded professionals in other countries. Members exchange, benchmark and share know-how and best practice information on both a technical and practice management level.

Each member firm undergoes a thorough screening process on application and is assessed throughout their membership to ensure that they continue to meet all Alliott Group criteria.

Jeremy said: "We see this as a very positive step in the development of the firm and we look forward to making a significant contribution to the Group in the future."

Smith Cooper has eight offices across the Midlands, in: Alfreton, Ashbourne, Birmingham, Burton upon Trent, Buxton, Derby, Ilkeston and Nottingham.

Together with other member firms of the Alliott Group, Jeremy Cope and Ed Saunders are currently (Friday 21st October) representing Smith Cooper at the group's World Wide Conference being held in Barcelona. The conference takes in discussions on the Spanish economy and the continuing development of the Euro as well as the effects of doing business in Spain and developing in other markets.