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Practice news: New managing partner for Grant Thornton

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28th Apr 2014
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A round-up of the latest news, executive moves and acquisitions from the world of practice during April 2014.

New managing partner for Grant Thornton

28 April - The firm has appointed Carl Williams as managing partner for its North West business. 

He succeeds Les Ross, who is retires this summer after over 35 years’ with Grant Thornton.

Williams takes up the post 1 July and will lead a team of 400 people across offices in Manchester’s Spinningfields and the Royal Liver Building, Liverpool.

He has been a partner for eight years and leads a number of the firms’ big client relationships. He joined Grant Thornton in 1995 and has advised a wide range of businesses, from sectors as varied as manufacturing, FMCG, leisure, property and construction.

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New grants consultant for Cornish accountants

28 April - Robinson Reed Layton appointed specialist Alison Elvey to its existing team. 

Elvey has experience in establishing and managing funding programs, as well as assisting Cornish organisations with accessing grant and loan funds.

In her previous roles, Elvey established the SWIG PESCA loan fund, managed by South West Investment Group. 

Her new role will provide advanced assistance and guidance to clients looking for grant, loan and supported finance, whilst offering advice on accessing EU, national and local funding within both the corporate and non-profit sectors.

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New corporate finance head for Carter Backer Winter

24 April - Former UHY Hacker Young partner Odhran Dodd has been appointed as head of its corporate finance department. 

Dodd has 15 years’ experience in investment banking, and has completed over 60 deals in sectors including recruitment, manufacturing, financial services, transportation, oil and gas, mining and renewables.

But his particular specialism is in selling established profitable companies with retiring owner managers. 

His expertise is focused on disposal of owner managed businesses, MBOs/MBIs, fundraising – from debt or alternative capital providers to transaction negotiations. 

n 2013, CBW embarked on two mergers, joining with outsourced accounting firm Direct Control to create CBW Dynamic Accounting, followed by a merger with tax specialist firm Blackstone Franks.

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Former KPMG policy head and HMRC specialist joins Alma Consulting Group

22 April - Gavin Bate joins the R&D tax specialists as head of technical policy on UK R&D tax. 

During his previous role at KPMG, Bate managed the relationship between HMRC and KPMG. This training HMRC inspectors on R&D tax relief, as well as managing the delivery of R&D claims for some FTSE 100 companies.

Prior to working at KPMG, Bate was lead specialist for R&D and the Intangible Asset Regime for HMRC and helped to shape the government’s R&D tax relief scheme. He worked closely with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) during the drafting of the definition of R&D for the purposes of the relief and also wrote the original HMRC guidance for tax inspectors on R&D claims, setting HMRC’s interpretation of the tax legislation governing the tax relief schemes. 

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New director for Carter Backer Winter 

14 April - Melissa Jackson joins the firm from the MacDonald Partnership, bringing 16 years of insolvency experience with her.

Jackson, ACCA qualified and an Insolvency Practitioner, will focus on business turnarounds for SMEs, restructuring of insolvent SMEs and providing turnaround finance and assisting individuals in financial distress. She will also contribute to CBW’s business development activities. 

In addition, the firm has appointed Guy Scorer as the its first full time business development executive. He will be responsible for building relationships with others in the industry and developing CBW’s offering for creditors.

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BDO appoints ex-Grant Thornton pensions man

10 April - Kelvin Wilson joins the BDO pensions advisory team as head of pensions de-risking.

Wilson has structured and transferred more than £6bn of pension liabilities into the insurance and capital markets over the course of his career. He previously held posts at Aon Hewitt, Prudential UK and GE Asset Management.

In addition, the firm has also  appointed another ex-Grant Thornton employee, actuary Shyamal Bala as a senior manager in its pensions advisory arm.

Bala has ten years of industry experience, including advising clients on DB risk management strategies and de-risking solutions. He worked at Towers Watson and Mercer before his time at Grant Thornton.

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PKF Littlejohn makes duo of senior appointments 

10 April - The firm has appointed to to its corporate tax team. 

Tom Gareze has joined the firm as a corporate tax partner, bringing over 25 years’ experience to his new role. 

Gareze specialises in working with private companies with UK and overseas shareholders, AIM listed and private equity backed businesses. He has experience in advising companies and their shareholders on structuring their activities and on undertaking tax efficient reorganisations, mergers and acquisitions and disposals. 

In addition, Catherine Heyes takes the role of senior corporate tax manager.

Her focus is on providing tax compliance services to SMEs, and specialist advice around R&D, patent box, exit strategies and share schemes. Heyes' experience includes employment taxes, share buy-backs, reorganisations, tax investigations and SEIS/EIS structuring.

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Whitley Stimpson merges with Baxter Payne & Haigh

7 April: Banbury based Whitley Stimpson LLP and Bicester based Baxter Payne & Haigh Ltd, have merged

The Whitley Stimpson Banbury and High Wycombe offices will keep their existing name but under a new limited company structure, and the Bicester office will be known as BPH Whitley Stimpson.

Malcolm Higgs, Director at Whitley Stimpson said: “This is a very exciting time and opens up a new world of opportunities for our clients and ourselves." 

Whitley Stimpson first came to Buckinghamshire in 2010 following a merger with Hale Partnership based in High Wycombe.

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Henderson Loggie appoints new partner 

7 April -Gavin Black was made partner in the firm's audit team at its Dundee office. 

As part of his now role, he will be involved in developing the audit business across the firm’s four offices in Scotland, in addition to advising a portfolio of clients.

Black spent over ten years with Baker Tilly in Edinburgh, where he trained and qualified, rising to the position of director. His specialisms include manufacturing and distribution, infrastructure, professional practices, retail businesses and student associations.

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Baker Tilly appoints new office managing partner 

3 April - The firm has appointed audit and accounts partner, Ben Lawrance, as its new office managing partner.

He will take over from Dilip Dattani, Baker Tilly’s regional head of restructuring and recovery in the Midlands. 

Lawrancee, originally from Leicester, returned to the city from Baker Tilly’s Birmingham office in November 2013, following the merger with RSM Tenon.

He has extensive experience of working with privately owned companies and large corporate companies.

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Baker Tilly merges Manchester offices

2 April - The firm has merged its two offices in Manchester city centre.

The staff and Partners from RSM Tenon’s former offices in Parsonage Gardens in Manchester have moved in Baker Tilly’s existing office in Hardman Street taking the total number of staff and partners to 240.

The move follows the merger with RSM Tenon in 2013.

Last month, the firm also secured new offices in Preston which will soon become home to 200 staff from RSM Tenon’s former offices in Chorley and Bolton.

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BDO Birmingham appoints new lead partner 

2 April - Richard Rose, senior tax partner, has been appointed as lead partner in the firm's Birmingham office.

He has worked at BDO for nine years and has headed up the Birmingham tax team for the last five years. 

He replaces Mark Anslow, who is retiring from the partnership to take on the role of CEO at client firm, Pemberstone Ventures.

Rose will lead BDO through its next stage of growth, as it steps up recruitment and aims for 20% revenue growth.

He will be responsible for leading business growth across the West Midlands, working with the firm's 16 partners in Birmingham.

Commenting, Richard Rose said: "It's an exciting time for BDO and I'm very much looking forward to leading the team through our next phase of growth."

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Grant Thornton & BDO merge on Isle of Man 

2 April - The two firms have merged in an agreement which will create a new company with more than 30 staff members and doubled client portfolio.

Former BDO directors Michael Crowe and Martin Kneale will be alongside Grant Thornton directors Dennis McGurgan and Richard Ratcliffe at the top of the venture.

The new venture will run under the title of Grant Thornton. BDO employees will move into the Grant Thornton offices in Douglas.

Crowe said: “We are delighted to be joining Grant Thornton to enable continuity of service to our clients and to provide job security for our employees.”

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New partners for Francis Clarke 

1 April - Four new partners and two directors were appointed as of 1 April. 

The promotions take place at the firm’s Exeter, Taunton and Torquay offices and bring the total partnership to 49.

International tax expert, Stuart Rogers, and business advisor, Nick Farrant, become partners at Francis Clark’s office on Blackbrook Business Park in Taunton, while Annette Connelly’s firm-wide work as director of finance and IT based in Torquay has also been made partner.

Exeter based Helen Lewis also becomes a partner.

Tax consultants Heather Britton (Taunton) and Karen Bowen (Torquay) both become directors.

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Crowe Clark Whitehill appoints three new partners 

1 AprilThe firm has made a trio of appointments in effect from 1 April.

Ross Prince, based in the firm’s Midlands office, specialises in advice for professional practices, businesses and academies.

He started his career with Crowe Clark Whitehill as a trainee chartered accountant in 2002 and was instrumental in setting up Crowe Clark Whitehill’s COFA network, which supports law firms working under the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s new compliance regime.

Darren Rigden, based in Kent, has a client range from owner managed businesses through to AIM-listed and international groups. Rigden joined Crowe Clark Whitehill’s Maidstone office in 1998 as a trainee chartered accountant.

Azeem Zafar from the Cheltenham office joined Crowe Clark Whitehill in 2010, adding further support to the growing outsourcing and business solutions part of the business.

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Duff & Phelps appoints new MD 

1 April - The firm has promoted director James Palmer to position of London-based managing director.

Palmer is part of Duff & Phelps valuation practic. He will continue to be based in the global valuation and corporate finance advisor's London office.

He has over 13 years of experience performing valuations of business enterprises, debt instruments, equity securities and intangible assets.

Before joining Duff & Phelps in 2004, Palmer qualified as a chartered accountant in the consumer products practice of PwC London.

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French Duncan moves Glasgow office

1 April - The Scottish firm moved to the top two floors of a building in Finnieston.

The move is part of French Duncan's development programme, including its merger wtih Macfarlane Gray.

It moved from its long-term home on West George Street into 13,200 sq ft of Grade A space on the ninth and tenth floors at 133 Finnieston Street.

French Duncan managing partner, Graeme Finnie said 85 staff have relocated into the new office.

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