Our history

Smith & Williamson was founded in Glasgow in 1881 and has, for many years, combined an independent firm of chartered accountants with an investment management and private banking house.

The firm we know today has evolved by exponential growth and has gained an enviable reputation as a leading financial services firm which offers a full and innovative range of services. Of note, the merger in 2002 with NCL (Securities) Limited - incorporating Cunningham Coates Stockbrokers, one of Northern Ireland's oldest and leading financial institutions - and in 2005 with Solomon Hare, one of the longest-established independent accounting and financial advisory firms in the UK, have contributed to the firm's growth and success.

Today, the enlarged firm employs 1,500 people and operates from 12 principal offices in the UK and Ireland, providing accounting, investment management and financial advisory services to private clients, professional practices, mid-large corporates and non-profit organisations.