People: Lateral hire for Weightmans; Joint managing partners take the reins at accountancy firm; Paralympic gold medalist named active travel commissioner; and more
The Weightmans Restructuring and Insolvency team has welcomed Partner and corporate insolvency expert James Moore as team achieves record growth.
Moore, formally of Squire Patton Boggs, is based in the firm’s Leeds office, offering support to both national and international clients. He has a wealth of experience acting for insolvency practitioners, corporate debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, distressed companies, LPA and Fixed Charge Receivers, banks, investors and directors in relation to insolvency and restructuring related work on both a contentious and non-contentious basis. He is particularly well regarded in the sports and financial services sectors for his almost unrivalled experience of insolvency related work in these areas.
He joins a Weightmans team that advise organisations across a variety of sectors; including construction, retail & leisure, and local government on all aspects of personal and corporate insolvency. The team was boosted significantly by Partner Natasha Atkinson’s arrival in May 2018, with major growth coming from the firm’s strong reputation for offshore investigative work.
Atkinson said:“Insolvency or business restructuring involves a great deal of strategic planning, stakeholder management and a deep understanding of industry and economic trends – which means wide-ranging professional support is crucial.
“We are committed to recruiting the very best to meet the needs of our clients. James is an excellent lawyer and we are thrilled to have him join us at such an exciting time for the team – he has a vast amount of experience of dealing with complex financial issues and will ensure we are able to offer a truly comprehensive service to clients across the UK.”
James added: “Weightmans has a fantastic reputation for delivering a comprehensive restructuring service, designed to help clients make the best of any situation.
“I am proud to work for a firm which shares this commitment to real solutions-driven service and I look forward to working closely with colleagues from across the firm to continue to grow our insolvency and restructuring offering.”
:::
Audit partner Lisa Leighton and corporate finance partner Hamish Morrison have taken the reins at accountancy firm, BHP – which has offices in Sheffield, Cleckheaton, Leeds, Chesterfield and York.
Leighton began at BHP as a graduate in 1995 and Morrison joined BHP Corporate Finance as partner in 2012 with 20 years’ experience in the sector. Each will maintain responsibility for their current portfolio of clients.
Outgoing managing partner of 10 years, John Warner, will continue at the firm full-time as senior partner to manage his portfolio of clients.
From two offices and a turnover of £8m in 2009, BHP now has five offices, turnover approaching £22m and is ranked number 35 of accounting firms in the UK.
Warner said: “BHP’s history is built on the ability to continuously adapt and stay at the forefront of the industry. It’s with this ethos that we continue to thrive today and I am fully confident in this next step for our business.
“My two highly qualified colleagues will inject a new wave of dynamism and drive to the firm, building on our strong foundations and leading us confidently into the next decade.”
Morrison said: “This is a really exciting time for BHP. We continue to push forward – standing-out in the mid-tier market with significant initiatives to further add value, lead with technology, expand services and support staff and clients to reach their true potential.
“I very much look forward to BHP continuing to exceed client expectations well into the next decade.”
Leighton added: “Like John, I’ve seen BHP grow and flourish over a number of years.
“BHP is all about people – our success comes from getting to know the people behind businesses and that is what I love. We support our clients and colleagues to develop, grow and be the best versions of themselves, and it is this culture that I want to take forward into the future.”
:::
Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey has been appointed Sheffield Mayor Dan Jarvis’s Active Travel Commissioner.
The World Champion cyclist and swimmer has won 14 Paralympic golds, first in swimming and now in cycling. Last month, she claimed two gold medals and one silver in the Para-cycling Track World Championships in the Netherlands, and is now set to lead the travel agenda in the Sheffield City Region.
Storey was officially revealed as the new Commissioner at an event held at Sheffield Hallam University today (Monday 1 April). Her role will involve championing active travel and working alongside Mayor Jarvis to create a region in which more people travel on foot, by bike or by public transport.
She said: “I’m proud and excited to be the first Active Travel Commissioner for the Sheffield City Region. I believe active travel is a less stressful way of moving about, and helps to create the foundation of a happier workforce and a happier population.”
In her new role, Storey will work with organisations such as local authorities, the Passenger Transport Executive, community groups and public health professionals, as well as with national Government.
She will also be responsible for leading the active travel agenda across the City Region, including overseeing schemes in Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield that received funding from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund earlier this month.
She added: “As someone who’s passionate about active travel, and through my policy work with British Cycling, I’ve been so interested in what Chris Boardman is doing with Andy Burnham over the Pennines. It’s brilliant to have the opportunity to work closely with Mayor Jarvis and his team to do something similar here.
“For me, this is about having another string to my bow, and utilising that profile of elite sport to benefit the wider population. Not everyone is going to be an elite athlete, but we can all enjoy being more active. I’m looking forward to seeing how, together, we can make real changes to the way people travel in the Sheffield City Region.”
Storey was a swimmer at four Paralympic Games before switching to cycling in 2005. During her career she trained and competed at Ponds Forge in Sheffield. Since making the career move to cycling, she added to her five swimming gold medals with a further nine cycling golds at the Paralympics of 2008, 2012 and 2016.
She has also competed against able-bodied athletes riding for England at the Commonwealth Games and won medals at UCI Track Cycling World Cup meetings with the able-bodied squad.
Mayor Dan Jarvis said: “I’m delighted to name Sarah as our Active Travel Commissioner. To have such an exceptional, inspirational and passionate individual leading our active travel agenda is very exciting.
“Sarah joins us at an exciting time and will play a crucial role in helping us to make sure that active travel remains an absolute priority as we make our region’s transport network fit for the 21st century.
“By prioritising active travel, we can improve people’s health, cut carbon emissions and reduce congestion. But you don’t have to be a professional cyclist – or indeed a gold medal winning cyclist – to travel in a more active way. By making little changes to the way that we travel, we can all do our part to create a healthier and more active society.”
:::
Walker Morris, the Leeds-based law firm, has appointed Sarah Greenwell as a Senior Associate to its Pensions Team.
Greenwell’s appointment strengthens the firm’s expertise in pensions law and is a response to the team’s growing client base. This latest appointment brings the Walker Morris Pensions Team (including the integrated Pensions Litigation Team) to 10 including 2 partners.
Greenwell joins Walker Morris from Eversheds where she was a Principal Associate. She has over 10 years’ experience of advising both trustees and employers on a broad range of private sector pensions issues including advice on the pensions aspects of corporate transactions.
Jo Ratcliffe at Walker Morris said: “Pensions law and regulation continues to develop and change apace. For example, we are expecting a Pensions Bill this year which is likely to include changes to the Pensions Regulator’s powers to supervise defined benefit pension schemes. In addition the Pensions Regulator is due to consult on a new code of practice for defined benefit scheme funding.
“Sarah’s appointment reinforces the significant strength in depth in our Pensions Team. Having an experienced team enables us to provide our clients with commercially focussed and pragmatic advice. This solutions-driven, practical advice is valued by clients and has allowed us to grow our pensions client-base.”
:::
A property agency has made three promotions at its Doncaster office, including a new partner.
Fisher German has promoted Struan McDougall from associate director to partner, June Blunden from rural administrator to senior regional administrator, and Marie Briggs from accounts assistant to client accounts manager.
McDougall progressed to partnership after taking part in Fisher German’s inaugural ‘Pathway to Partnership’ scheme, which aims to prepare associate directors for the many responsibilities of being a partner.
Candidates who are put forward to complete the year-long programme are required to undertake a variety of training and tasks, including preparing a business case, role playing, and undertaking an interview with a panel of current partners.
McDougall, who joined Fisher German as a graduate in 2011 and works in the rural sector of the firm, said: “The Pathway to Partnership Programme was really valuable training. It gave me a much better understanding about what responsibilities I will have as a partner, and it developed my skills in managing different people and teams throughout the business.
“It was an intense year of training for me, so it was fantastic when I was told I was going to be made a partner. Our move to Doncaster in 2017, coupled with the three promotions we’ve had here, means we now have a great opportunity to grow in Yorkshire. It’s an exciting time for us all.”
Charles Meynell, senior partner of Fisher German, added: “We are very proud to announce a record 30 promotions across Fisher German, and I would like to congratulate all of those who have progressed within the business.
“Last April we implemented a new career progression framework for everyone across the firm.
“This inclusive approach means that colleagues at every level have a clear pathway to develop and progress should they wish to – something which is very important to Fisher German and has been well-received by staff.
“We have seen continued growth across the firm, and this is a testament to the high quality, professional service that we provide to our clients. We will continue to support staff development and drive the business forward in the future.”
