Formed in 1998 from a merger between Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand, PwC has a history in client services that dates back to the nineteenth century. Both accounting firms originated in London during the mid-1800s. Today, PwC serves 26 industries. Our industry-focused services in the fields of assurance, tax, human resources, transactions, performance improvement and crisis management have helped resolve complex client and stakeholder issues worldwide. We also apply our expertise and talents to help educational institutions, the federal government, non-profits and international relief agencies address their unique business issues.
Below are some key milestones in the history of both firms:
1849 - Samuel Lowell Price sets up in business in London.
1854 - William Cooper establishes his own practice in London, which seven years later becomes Cooper Brothers.
1865 - Price, Holyland and Waterhouse join forces in partnership.
1874 - Partners change name to Price, Waterhouse & Co.
1898 - Robert H. Montgomery, William M. Lybrand, Adam A. Ross Jr. and his brother T. Edward Ross form Lybrand, Ross Brothers and Montgomery.
1957 - Cooper Brothers & Co (UK), McDonald, Currie and Co (Canada) and Lybrand, Ross Bros & Montgomery (US) merge to form Coopers & Lybrand.
1982 - Price Waterhouse World Firm forms.
1990 - Coopers & Lybrand merges with Deloitte Haskins & Sells in a number of countries around the world.
1998 - Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand merge to create PricewaterhouseCoopers.
2002 - PricewaterhouseCoopers' partners approve sale of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting to IBM.
2004 - PricewaterhouseCoopers implements the Connected Thinking methodology.
2010 - PricewaterhouseCoopers formally shortens its brand name to PwC but legally remains PricewaterhouseCoopers.
