The British engineering consultancy W.S. Atkins has disclosed that it paid £1.6 million (€2 million) for the Irish consultancy business, McCarthy & Partners. Part of the consideration involved the issue of 66,456 Atkins shares worth £300,000 to the McCarthy shareholders. A previous disclosure by Atkins did not include the consideration.

McCarthy & Partners is one of the top six engineering consultancies in Ireland and employs 50 people. The Irish company, which will be absorbed into Atkins's Dublin office, previously collaborated with Atkins in the Cork Transportation Study, the Dublin Gas Pipeline project and the National Water Strategy contract.