Our History | DMCL Chartered Professional Accountants

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Our History

BEGIN JOURNEY

Robert J. Matheson

The story of DMCL begins in 1984. Bob Matheson had recently acquired his professional designation and made the decision to venture out as a sole practitioner, setting up his first shop in Vancouver.

Matheson Donaldson

A short time after opening his practice, Bob was joined by Pete Donaldson, turning the one-man-shop into the firm known as Matheson Donaldson. The young firm grew quickly, attracting professionals from more established firms with its clear potential as an up-and-comer.

McCague Dale

In January 1989, after working for McCague and Partners for 10 years, Al Dale and James McCague announced a new partnership under the name McCague Dale Inc. Tragically, at the end of the same month, James was killed in a car accident on the Burrard Street Bridge.

Robson Dale Carr-Hilton

Prior to James’ death, he and Al recognized the need to expand their partnership to achieve their goal of becoming the preeminent accounting firm in the lower mainland. Another firm, Robson Carr-Hilton, whom they had collaborated with on previous files, shared the same vision. By January 1990, McCague Dale and Robson Carr-Hilton merged to become Robson Dale Carr-Hilton.

Surrey Office – Part I

Pete was eager to return to Surrey and leave the bustle of the city behind. With Bob at the helm of the Vancouver office and the strong reputation of Matheson Donaldson beside him, Pete headed towards the border and opened the firm's second office in Surrey.

Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton

In October 1995, Bob Matheson was introduced to Jim Carr-Hilton at the Vancouver Golf Club and hit it off. Aspiring to grow their practice, the five partners from Matheson Donaldson and Robson Dale Carr-Hilton met and recognized the immense potential in merging practices. A year later, the two firms moved into the same office and, on January 1, 1997, Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton was born.

Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton Labonte

In the wake of the Enron Corp. scandal, the United States’ implemented the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) legislation and Canada quickly followed suit with Bill 198 (C-SOX). As a result, only one quarter of Canadian firms chose to continue pursuing audit work and comply with the new, rigorous regulations. One of those firms was Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton, who made the strategic decision to expand their audit resources and merge with Labonte & Co. Together, they became Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton Labonte.

Tri-Cities Office

Meanwhile, Wilfred Jacobson and Anthony Soda were beginning to plan for retirement and looking to transition their practices to a successor. Eager to expand the geographic footprint of the firm, DMCL came to a transition agreement with Jacobson Soda that extended the firm’s reach to the Tri-Cities and added a third office location.

Surrey Office – Part II

As things go, there was another firm seeking a merger—this time in Surrey—by the name of Baxter Carabetta Braun (BCB). Keen to grow DMCL’s presence in the community, discussions commenced and the two firms officially merged practices and relocated to BCB’s Surrey-White Rock office in 2006.

Entertainment Accounting & Business Management

A gentleman by the name of Fred Yada had gained a reputation as a preeminent accountant in Vancouver specializing in the entertainment industry. After saving his practice from dissolution and running a successful boutique firm for several years, Fred was preparing to retire and searching for partners who would care for and support his team. In 2010, the FM Yada Group merged with DMCL, adding entertainment accounting and business management services to the fold.

Victoria Office

Following the FM Yada Group merger, the entertainment practice grew rapidly. Recognizing the significant industry presence in Victoria, DMCL opened a satellite office in the heart of downtown and began planting roots in the community.

Since inception, DMCL has experienced continuous growth in both size and experience as it has established itself as a leading mid-sized Canadian firm with global reach. Through strategic mergers with other industry-leaders, DMCL has bolstered its reputation for providing a comprehensive portfolio of services while still offering the personalized touch of a small-sized firm.