PwC, the network of member accounting firms, agreed to acquire Booz & Co. to expand its advisory business. Terms weren't disclosed.

The deal would give PwC about 3,000 added employees in 57 locations worldwide, creating a firm whose services include auditing as well as advice on risk management, deals, human resources, ethics, and information technology. Booz partners are scheduled to vote on the transaction in December, according to a statement today from the two firms.

Companies have been under pressure by regulators to employ separate auditors and consultants after the 2001 collapse of Enron Corp. The deal between PwC, overseen by Chairman Dennis Nally, and Booz, run by Chief Executive Officer Cesare Mainardi, puts the issue of independence “front and center,” said former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Arthur Levitt, who pushed for rules to curb accounting firms from providing both auditing and consulting services to a client.