John Hennessey, co-owner of the Boston firm along with CathyThompson, tells GlobeSt.com that the merger, which is expected tobe completed within two weeks, gives GVA Williams minorityownership in GVA Thompson Doyle Hennessey & Stevens. The firmwill be renamed GVA Williams once the transaction is complete.Terms of the merger between the two privately-owned brokeragehouses were not disclosed but Hennessey says the transaction willcreate "a strong regional player" in the Boston market.

"We're going to brand with them, piggy-back on their technologyand platform and some of the services they provide their clientswill be incorporated into our platform," Hennessey says, addingthat he expects the size of the 30-person Boston office willincrease as a result of the transaction.

Robert Freedman, GVA Williams' president and CEO, says in astatement that the merger was a result of years of working with GVAbrokers in Boston. "We have worked in concert with GVA ThompsonDoyle Hennessey & Stevens on a host of projects and it becamean historical inevitability that our firms would merge," Freedmansays. "Culture and integration issues are priorities in anybusiness combination. Our past experience tells us our two firmsare a perfect cultural match and that the integration will beseamless."