1913: Congress enacts the first federal income tax law. John J. McIntosh opens an accounting firm in Seattle to support the Pacific Northwest’s forest products industry.
1918: McIntosh is joined by Charles S. Cowan. The firm’s name will change to McIntosh, Cowan & Co in 1924.
1919: Albert Moss emigrates from Canada and joins McIntosh, Cowan & Co.
1922: The firm establishes an office in Portland.
1929: McIntosh dies. The firm is renamed Charles S. Cowan & Company.
1938: Cowan dies. Edwin Adams joins the firm and, together with Moss and Paul Nielsen, another member of the staff, buys the firm from Cowan’s widow, changing its name to Moss Adams & Co. This will get shortened to Moss Adams LLP in 1995.
1941–45: The firm’s staff shrinks as many of its employees are drafted to aid the war effort. The war also brings rapid growth to the lumber industry, the firm’s specialty.
1960s: The firm opens an office in San Francisco and Southern California as well as additional offices in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State.
1970s: The firm continues to grow, adding four more offices in Washington State and one more in Southern California. Moss Adams also adds a consulting arm in 1972, offering clients value-added services that complement our core assurance and tax solutions.
1981: The firm opens its Santa Rosa, California, office.
1982: Bob Bunting is elected president and chairman of the firm. He’ll serve until 2004, after which he’ll go on to chair the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (2004–2005) and the
International Federation of Accountants (2008–2010) and be tapped by Prince Charles to join the
International Integrated Reporting Committee.
Mid-1980s: Moss Adams joins Moores Rowland International, a global network of independent accounting firms that will later be chaired by Bob Bunting.
1990s: Moss Adams becomes the 15th largest accounting and consulting firm in the nation, adding offices as well as personnel in Oregon and Washington.
1999: Moss Adams Capital LLC is born, offering investment banking and strategic advisory services and helping our clients create greater value in their business.
2000: The firm expands its presence in California, adding offices in Sacramento and Stockton and increasing staff in Los Angeles and Orange County. Moss Adams establishes a wealth management division offering financial planning, investment management, and insurance services.
2002: Moss Adams adds an office in San Diego.
2004: Rick Anderson, previously the president and COO, becomes chairman and CEO. Chris Schmidt, Orange County office managing partner, becomes the firm’s president.
2006: Moss Adams expands into New Mexico, opening an office in Albuquerque. Four years later the firm will grow its Albuquerque office via acquisition, strengthening its commitment to the Southwest and bolstering its local specialization in financial services, employee benefit services, technology, life sciences, and manufacturing.
2007: Moss Adams expands into Arizona, opening an office in Phoenix. In addition, Moss Adams helps found Praxity, AISBL, a global alliance that today counts more than 100 independent accounting firms as members, providing our clients who do business internationally with trusted expertise in more than 70 countries and territories around the world.
2009: Moss Adams expands its presence in Silicon Valley, opening its fifth Northern California office, located in Santa Clara.
2010: CEO Rick Anderson is appointed to chair the AICPA Blue-Ribbon Panel convened to address standards for private company financial statements.