Appointments: Smith & Williamson; Express Solicitors & more

TAX advisory firm Smith & Williamson has appointed Roy Baldwin as its first senior hire in Manchester since taking over former Begbies’ tax consultancy business BTG tax last year.

Roy Baldwin joins the firm after four years at Deloitte.  

Prior to this, he spent more than 30 years at HMRC where he played a key role on the main board of its successful Offshore Disclosure Facility and also represented HMRC at meetings with the British Bankers’ Association and at the OECD.

Leo Coyle, partner and head of tax investigations at Smith & Williamson’s Manchester office, said: “Roy has spent his entire career dealing with tax investigations and we are very pleased to welcome him to Smith & Williamson. He is an offshore specialist with vast experience.”

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NORTHENDEN-based personal injury law firm Express Solicitors has appointed Luiza Da Costa as recruitment and training manager.

She joins from William James Recruitment, where she specialised in the areas of personal injury, clinical negligence and law costs.  Prior to this, she spent six years as a fee earner at several major law firms.

Da Costa will now be responsible for the recruitment and subsequent training of all new employees. The firm has said that it expects to take on 40 new staff this year.

She said: “The main focus of my role will be on recruitment at first then, as we expand, the balance will shift to incorporate more training.

“As Express Solicitors was previously a client of mine, I was well of aware of its expansion plans and jumped at the chance of joining. It’s a really exciting time for the firm and I’m looking forward to playing a pivotal role in its future growth.”

Partner Robin Patey said the creation of 40 new jobs would take total staff numbers to 120. He added that it was part of a £3m expansion plan which will also see it invest £1m in a new office and double marketing spend to £1.5m during the next 12 months.

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Manchester law firm Boote Edgar Esterkin has taken on Lynda Spiby as its new head of employment.

She joins from Thomas Mansfield LLP, where she headed the firm’s Manchester branch.

Partner Gary Lederberg said: “Lynda’s arrival comes on the back of a successful 12 months for Bootes, as it continues to expand its service offering to a rapidly expanding e-commerce client base.

“Further strategic growth is planned for 2012.”

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CHRIS Walker, a partner at law firm Scott Ress, has been elected chair of the Liverpool branch of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.

Mr Walker, who heads the firm’s catastrophic and serious injuries unit, has been secretary of the Liverpool branch for the last two years.

He said: “CILEx plays an important role in raising standards and providing alternative routes for individuals who wish to pursue a successful law career.

“By studying and qualifying as a legal executive, I have progressed to partner level at Scott Rees. As chairman of the Liverpool CILEx I have the opportunity to give something back to the organisation that has supported me during the last 20 years.”
 
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BIRCHALL Blackburn Solicitors, has appointed Janet Palmi to its wills and probate team.

She joins the firm from DWF’s Preston office. She spent more than 27 years employed by Ricksons where she introduced and built its probate department before its merger with DWF in early 2007.

She will work out of Birchall Blackburn’s offices in Penwortham and Preston.  

Catherine Maccracken, partner and head of private client: “We are delighted that Janet is joining our growing wills and probate team. She has an extensive network in the local area and is well known with a loyal client base; her skills and experience will make her a valuable addition to the department and to the firm”.

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TANGERINE PR has recruited two new members of staff to its B2B team.
Victoria Moffatt, formerly of Roland Dransfield, takes up the position of senior account manager.

Moffat is also a trained solicitor with more than seven years’ experience in the legal profession.

Meanwhile, Nikki Bradbury joins the agency as senior account executive from Kenyon Fraser in Liverpool, where she worked on PR and social marketing campaigns.

Sam Gregory, managing director of B2B at Tangerine PR, said: “The B2B team has seen rapid expansion over the past 12 months, and 2012 is shaping up to be much the same, so it’s an incredibly exciting time for us.”

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WIGAN building and joinery firm Hughes Brothers has appointed former journalist Natalie Geraghty as its PR officer.

The role is a new one at the family-owned company. Prior to taking up her post, Geraghty spent three years working as a local news reporter for Lancashire Publications.

She said: “I am thrilled to have joined Hughes Brothers.

“I wrote a number of stories about the company during my previous employment, which allowed me to build up a great relationship with the team and realise how forward-thinking, adaptable, and committed to training and up-skilling their employees they were.”