People: Armstrong Watson adds to forensics team; Senior hires for Clugston; and more

Armstrong Watson Accountants, Business and Financial Advisers has added to its forensic team to meet increasing demand.

Based in the firm’s Leeds office, the forensic team’s expansion comes in response to growth in shareholder disputes, business and intellectual property valuation work, and commercial litigation.

The existing team of five, led by partner and head of forensic accounting, Matthew Geale, assisted by Liesel Annible and Chis Hine, has been joined by Lindsay Tarrant as a senior manager.

Tarrant has over 25 years’ experience in professional practices, companies and charities and spent the previous seven years as finance director at Horizon Platforms Limited.

Geale said: “I am delighted to welcome Lindsay to the Armstrong Watson forensic team. Lindsay brings a unique set of skills as he has both forensic accounting experience and has also faced many of the challenges that businesses face today as the Finance Director of a service sector SME. He now brings that extensive knowledge and experience to assist in providing the best advice and expertise to our litigation clients.

“I’m very pleased to be reporting such rapid growth of the forensic service line and the team. The past year has seen us go from strength to strength providing our services throughout the UK, including some high profile and reported cases. We’ve worked hard to utilise our knowledge and experience to bring original thinking to, and achieve innovative solutions for, our clients.
Our clients can benefit from unrivalled experience and knowledge when they come to Armstrong Watson and Lindsay’s experience enhances the development of our centre of excellence in litigation and financial investigation matters.”

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Clugston Group, the privately-owned company which has interests in distribution, construction, facilities management and property development, has made two senior hires.

Tim Doggett has been appointed distribution director, while Liz Fillingham joins the company as group human resources director.

Doggett joins Clugston Distribution from Rhenus Logistics, where he held the position of general manager and was responsible for the organisation’s sales and operations across the North West region.

He brings 25 years’ experience of commercial, general and senior management across the logistics industry, including road, air, sea and warehousing sectors.

Fillingham has held senior roles in a number of areas, including utilities, construction, facilities management and logistics. More recently, she has provided HR consultancy services within the mental healthcare sector.

Bob Vickers, Clugston Group chief executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tim Doggett and Liz Fillingham to the group. Their experience across a broad range of areas will be vital to the division as we continue to examine ways to further expand our offering to both new and existing customers.”

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hlw Keeble Hawson has welcomed five trainee solicitors to its commercial and private client teams.

The new roles, based across offices in Leeds, Sheffield and Doncaster, brings the total number of trainees appointed by the firm to 17 across 2015-2017.

Three appointments are based at Sheffield where Kate Langley is working with the family law team, Ajun Singh is based in the residential property department and Louise Ward joins the litigation and dispute resolution team.

Andrew Donaldson joins the insolvency department in Leeds with Kate Large based in the commercial property department in Doncaster.

Giles Searby, hlw Keeble Hawson partner, said: “Our long-standing ethos of recruiting, developing and retaining the next generation of lawyers reinforces our reputation as a leading award-winning firm which prides itself on a high quality of client service. We wish our trainees every success in their new roles.”