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Practice News: Grant Thornton appoints tax partner

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24th May 2013
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A round-up of significant executive moves, announcements and other developments from the world of practice during May 2013.

Grant Thornton appoints tax partner

22 May - Grant Thornton UK has taken on international tax practitioner Alan Richardson who joins the firm as a partner focussing on international and corporate tax in the Thames Valley.

Richardson will be based in GT’s Reading office and joins a growing tax team in the region.

Prior to joining, he was at Ernst & Young for 15 years where he developed his career in both the UK and Australia. His clients include inbound groups, FTSE 100  and FTSE 250 groups, AIM listed groups, private equity backed groups and large privately owned groups.

Richardson also has significant experience of running global compliance programmes for international groups making sure that filing obligations in each location are managed and deadlines met.

Chris Mundy, head of tax for GT UK in the Thames Valley, said: “Alan will be leading our continued expansion into the large corporate and international area. He brings a wealth of experience in UK and international tax issues, particularly in relation to debt structuring, transfer pricing and managing international corporate tax costs. He will further strengthen our position as an advisor to large corporates in the area.”

* * *

Catax appointed as ICAEW affinity partner

16 May - The ICAEW has appointed Catax Solutions as an affinity partner to provide capital allowances services to its members.

This new relationship is expected to help accountants meet their clients’ needs with specialist capital allowances services.

ICAEW chartered accountants will get free and exclusive access to a capital allowances helpline, as well as capital allowances policy updates and information. The partnership will also give ICAEW members crucial knowledge, support and an opportunity to open fresh commercial avenues.

Sharron Gunn, executive director, commercial of the ICAEW, said: “Their knowledge and understanding of the accountancy market means they are able to offer our members a tailor-made solution that is suited to their needs”.

Mark Tighe, MD of Catax Solutions, added: “We already work with a number of small and large accountancy firms, helping them to deliver sizeable tax benefits for their clients; moreover, with the dramatic legislative changes programmed for April 2014, this partnership will hopefully increase awareness of unclaimed capital allowances and the new rules that apply to them.”

Catax Solutions is the Institute’s only affinity partner for capital allowances; however the ICAEW does have affinity partners in other sectors.

* * *

RSM Tenon partners quit to join Mazars

15 May -The managing partner of the Leicestershire RSM Tenon office and three of his senior colleagues have left to join Mazars’ Nottingham office.

Chris Darlington and fellow partners Bob Johnson and Steve English resigned from the firm on Monday, while a fourth senior manager also quit on the same day.

All four, under the terms of their contracts, will have to wait up to six months before starting their new roles.

According to This Is Leicestershire, at least one partner at Tenon's Nottingham office has also quit to join Mazars.

In 2010, Darlington led Tenon's takeover of the former Vantis office, in Oadby, after its parent company went into administration, and also oversaw the firm’s arrival in Leicestershire in 2002 when it took over the former BDO Stoy Hayward site in Leicester.

* * *

PKF's John Cassidy joins CWW

13 May - The former partner at PKF has joined Crowe Clark Whitehill's tax investigations team as partner. 

Cassidy has wide-ranging experience, covering offshore evasion, fraud investigations, the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility, disputes with HMRC, professional negligence claims and expert witness work.

The partner is also a regular writer and lecturer, including writing chapters on tax investigations in the Zurich Tax Handbook and ICAEW’s TAXLine Tax Planning, and sits on a number of tax committees.

John joins Crowe Clark Whitehill partner Sean Wakeman. Commenting on his appointment, he said: “I am very pleased to be joining Crowe Clark Whitehill at what is clearly a great time in the firm’s development. I hope that my experience will complement the sterling work done by the tax investigations team, and that my appointment will be beneficial for both the firm and its clients.

"The Crowe Clark Whitehill team is already of the highest quality as demonstrated by them winning the Lexis Nexis tax award last year, and I hope to add to that.”

* * * 

Former KPMG restructuring specialist joins BDO 

13 May - David Fletcher joins the firm's business restructuring team as head of restructuring advisory. 

Prior to joining BDO, David was one of KPMG’s most experienced restructuring specialists with 20 years in this field, the last 12 as a partner, working on complex UK and international cases.

Shay Bannon, Head of BDO’s Business Restructuring Practice, said: “We are delighted to have David on board.  He is highly regarded throughout the restructuring advisory community as a result of his wealth of experience and exceptional commitment to client service. We’re confident that David and his team will make a valuable contribution to our practice.”

David Fletcher added: “I am very excited about joining Shay’s team at BDO. They have a tremendous reputation in the market for client service and innovation and I look forward to helping them broaden the range of advice that they can provide.”

* * *

HW Fisher & Co launches turnaround service 

9 May - The firm has entered the insolvency market with the launch of its new service 

It will be aimed at offering struggling small businesses financial and operational advice for securing funding to avoid insolvency and return to profitability.

Brian Johnson, insolvency partner at HW Fisher said: “There are thousands of businesses that would benefit from this service, primarily those who have been barely ‘staying afloat’ for several years and those considered ‘zombie’ companies."

HW Fisher’s corporate recovery and corporate finance divisions will combine to provide advice and secure alternative sources of funding.

* * * 

Ex-IASB senior technical manager joins Duff & Phelps 

8 May - Hilary Eastman, who led the IFRS 13 project, as director of the professional practice division. 

She previously worked for the firm, but left to join the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

Her new role will focus on valuation issues relating to financial reporting under IFRS.

Eastman began her career in PwC's corporate value division, developing a particular focus on financial and tax reporting valuations. She moved to London from Amsterdam, previously San Francisco, in 2005 when Duff & Phelps acquired Standard & Poor's corporate value consulting group, which included PwC's legacy valuation business. 

Paul Barnes, managing director and global head of valuation advisory services at Duff & Phelps said: "We are pleased that Hilary has come full circle with Duff & Phelps, bringing her deep knowledge of complex financial issues and experience on the inside of cutting-edge regulatory activity to help our professionals and our clients navigate a wide range of challenging matters." 

Eastman has also been recently appointed to lead the IASB's investor liaison programme.

* * *

Grant Thornton appoints new associate director 

8 May - Helen Dixon returns to the firm with her new role in Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) in Grant Thornton South West. 

Dixo worked as commercial finance manager with Connaught Compliance (now Santia Ltd) in South Wales, before joining Thornbury-based Alexandra Workwear following its acquisition by Men’s Wearhouse UK from administration.

Her roles in industry involved managing business acquisitions, integration and turnaround projects, together with business planning and forecasting.

Helen currently leads Grant Thornton’s TAS team locally, working with regional partner Mark Taylor, where she focuses on providing financial due diligence for business acquisitions, refinancing and disposals by mid-market corporate clients.

“We were delighted to welcome Helen back to the firm a year ago. The experience she has gained in industry has proved invaluable in understanding and supporting our clients with their transactions,” said advisory partner Nigel Morrison

* * *

Wilkins Kennedy appoints three partners

1 May - Accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy has made three partner appointments to kick off the start of May.

Paul Nixon

Nixon is based at the Ashford offices of Wilkins Kennedy and provides a complete range of accounting services to his clients, including board reporting, business valuations, acquisitions and disposals, forensic accounting services and audit and assurance services.

 He has a diverse portfolio of clients from the law, construction and engineering, retail distribution, industrial, printing and art and design industries.

Bob Butterfield, southern region managing partner, said: ”Paul has over 20 years of experience in the profession and a proven track record of delivering exceptional service to our clients across the Kent region and beyond – we would like to congratulate him on his promotion”

Naomi Nesbit

Based in the Winchester office, Nesbit heads up the corporate tax team, providing tax advice to companies and shareholders in both the SME and large corporate markets.

As an ACA and CTA qualified accountant, she provides pro-active advice for her diverse portfolio of clients across a variety of sectors, including property and construction, retail and manufacturing.  Nesbit has considerable experience including expertise in the areas of corporate restructuring and transactions, venture capital schemes, R&D tax relief, capital allowances and international tax.

Ian Talbot, managing partner at the Wilkins Kennedy Winchester office, said: “Naomi is an exceptional tax specialist and a major asset to the team at Wilkins Kennedy - we would like to congratulate her on joining the partnership.”

Adam Anstey

Anstey joined Wilkins Kennedy in 2003 and is a highly skilled accountant, tax and business adviser who works with SMEs and owner-managed businesses across the South East of England including businesses in the manufacturing, engineering and service sectors.

Specialising in business valuations, he is a member of both the ICAEW Valuation and Forensic special interest groups, and he completed the Cardiff University Law School Bond Salon accreditation to qualify as a trained expert witness.

Tim Croft, partner at Wilkins Kennedy in Hertford, said “Adam’s expertise in the SME and owner managed business market combined with his specialist knowledge of business valuations and forensic accounting makes him an asset to the team and we would like to congratulate him on his exciting promotion.”

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