On the Move: RWK Goodman; The Family Law Company; Shawbrook; Bishop Fleming

Law firm RWK Goodman has expanded its dispute resolution practice with the appointment of Simon Price as a partner in Bristol.

Price, who will lead the firm’s commercial dispute resolution team in its Bristol and Bath offices, has joined from top 100 firm VWV, where he was previously a senior associate. He was also previously a partner at Bristol law firm Meade King, where he oversaw the firm’s dispute resolution team.

Assisting clients for more than 15 years, he has extensive commercial dispute resolution experience across wide variety of high value and complex matters.

Price said: “I am excited to join RWK Goodman and its strong dispute resolution team in Bristol and Bath, the firm’s commitment to working in partnership with the unique and ever-changing needs of our client’s business and objectives aligns perfectly with my own practice.

“I am impressed at the ambition of RWK Goodman and I hope to play a significant role in assisting the team to continue to grow and develop in strength through its high-quality service. I look forward to bringing my expertise to the firm and helping them achieve these aims.”

Dan Dodman, head of RWK Goodman’s dispute resolution practice, said: “Simon is a fantastic appointment to our growing dispute resolution team and I’m thrilled to be able to welcome him to our team.

“His extensive expertise across a wide range of commercial litigation and professional negligence areas fits in well with our overall values and aims for the practice, and we look forward to seeing him deliver exceptional results for our clients.”

RWK Goodman was formed two-and-a-half years ago through the merger of Royds Withy King and London practice Goodman Derrick.

The firm also has offices in Manchester, Swindon, Oxford, Marlborough and Thame.

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Credit: The Family Law Company

Vincent Ibekwe has joined The Family Law Company’s Exeter team bringing fresh skills to support clients in all aspects of family law.

Dual qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales, and a solicitor and barrister in Nigeria, Ibekwe has a particular specialism in divorce and the financial consequences of marriage breakdown.

He grew up in Nigeria and after achieving a degree in English Literature, followed a career in education as a secondary school teacher. After deciding he could make more impact in law, he studied for five years for his law degree, followed by a year at law school.

Initially Ibekwe worked for a top tier law firm in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos with cases involving commerce and corporate issues. On moving to the UK in 2022 he took a role with an immigration charity where he developed skills that opened up new possibilities. He qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2024 and joined The Family Law Company’s Divorce and Finance Team earlier this year.

He said: “It’s a very different area of law to the commercial sector, but I’m using the soft skills I developed working for the immigration charity; compassion, listening, paying attention to details – which all help me to make a difference to our clients who are often struggling with difficult circumstances.”

Being dual-qualified means Vincent brings knowledge of a different legal system and cultural distinctions which can help inform his approach to cases, the firm said.

Joint-MD Rachel Buckley added: “On behalf of the firm I’m pleased to welcome Vincent to the team. The skillset from his work in Nigeria and immigration is quite unique and provide a number of potential benefits to our clients. We are incredibly proud of the diversity of our lawyers and the skills this brings to our clients ”

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Becky Davies

Shawbrook has appointed Becky Davies as its newest business development manager (BDM), focusing on supporting brokers and expanding relationships across the South West and Wales.

Becky, who has more than 12 years’ experience in the mortgage industry, has worked as a mortgage broker herself, most recently working as a BDM for the Bank of Ireland.

Shawbrook, which provides finance across the SME, real estate and consumer sectors, said Becky had a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities brokers face and her appointment reflected its continued commitment to strengthen its broker network and innovative for more complex lending.

In her new  role she will focus on maintaining strong relationships with the lender’s existing panel of brokers in the South West and Wales, while also looking to grow the panel further.

Becky said: “I wanted to join Shawbrook because their ability to assist with more complex and ‘outside of the box’ lending really appealed to me.

“Alongside that, the friendly and supportive working environment made it an easy decision.

Having been a broker myself, I know how important it is for brokers to feel valued and supported.”

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Stuart Crisp

Accountancy, tax and advisory firm Bishop Fleming has appointed Stuart Crisp as its new audit partner based in it Bristol office, as it continues its growth drive in the city and across the wider South West and Midlands.

Stuart, previously audit partner at Bristol independent accountants Corrigan, strengthens Bishop Fleming’s Bristol-based team as demand for the firm’s audit services increases, most notably in its owner managed business market.

Stuart brings more than 25 years’ experience in accountancy and audit to the firm, including more than a decade spent with large international firms Baker Tilly (now RSM) and BDO.

During his career, Stuart has worked extensively with start-ups and scale-ups, particularly those receiving private equity or venture capital funding and including members and former members of the Bristol-based incubators SETsquared, Future Space and Science Creates.

Bishop Fleming said his expertise in this area would help attract and retain clients in the mid-market segment.

Stuart added: “Bishop Fleming has bold ambitions for growth and I’m eager to play my part in the upward trajectory of the firm.

“It strength in Bristol was a major factor in joining the team – its rapid expansion makes it one of the largest offices in the city outside of the Big Four – and it’s clear that this is a firm with a strong reputation and a great culture.

“While Bristol is an important hub, my role will extend across the region, ensuring we continue to grow our presence beyond the city. With my background in working with startups and scale-ups, I’m excited to help Bishop Fleming expand its reach in the mid-market, supporting ambitious businesses as they scale.”

Bishop Fleming said Stuart’s arrival was pivotal for its Bristol office, where the audit team now boasts more than100 professionals.

This growth reflected the firm’s ongoing investment in the city, it said, and aligned with its Better Growth strategy, which has helped increase audit revenues by at least 23% in each of the past three years.

With another strong year underway, it said it was on track for similar results, further solidifying its position as one of the region’s leading audit providers.

Bishop Fleming is also expanding its Bristol base – the largest of its eight offices – to accommodate this rapid expansion, taking an additional floor in the Temple Back office complex.

Bishop Fleming managing partner Andrew Sandiford said: “Stuart brings proven experience of managing growth in both small and large firms, experience which will add value for our client base and help to manage sustainable growth in our audit team.

“His impressive expertise in the tech sector, along with his work with solicitors’ firms, FCA-regulated entities, and charities, brings a breadth of knowledge that will strengthen our audit services.”