Being able to secure financing is critical to any business, whether it is a start-up seeking venture capital or a mid-sized firm that needs more cash to grow.

In December the Manhattan-based partnership, considered a mid-sized firm, announced that it had taken in the real estate firm Stadtmauer & Bailkin, with 23 lawyers.

Don Altemeyer, the firm's fourth original principal, became president of the corporation in 1987 and spearheaded the transition from a mid-sized firm to a large one.

Since 1986, the company has ranked the country's most successful companies and small and mid-sized firms by financial performance.

"Much of that growth is attributed to the small and mid-sized firms," said Marcel Portman, the group's vice president for global development.

Many small to mid-sized firms have both a tax and an auditing department.

The cuts come when several mid-sized firms are struggling under unusual competitive pressures.

There may be some confusion as legal publications may refer to any small- or mid-sized firm as a boutique, though generally less than 100 attorneys would count.

CFA was founded in 1956 to provide M&A services to mid-sized private and public firms often referred to as middle-market companies.

Small and mid-sized firms, as well as busy professionals, can outsource their work to increase their productivity and free time for more important commitments.