People: KPMG makes partner hire from PwC; Law firm bolsters board; and more

KPMG has hired Peter Workman to strengthen its legal services hub in the Midlands as the firm targets further growth.

Workman joins as a partner from PwC where he led the firm’s Midlands corporate legal practice and PwC’s flexible lawyer offering. He will lead a team of nine business structuring and transactions lawyers in the Midlands hub and complement KPMG’s existing UK legal practices across the UK.

The team will specialise in a range of domestic and cross-border group reorganisations and business structuring activity as well as M&A and transactions, working closely alongside KPMG’s tax, accounting, consulting and deal advisory teams.

Workman has built up a wealth of experience having spent 15 years in the London corporate teams of international law firms King & Wood Mallesons, Herbert Smith and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Karl Edge, Midlands regional chairman at KPMG UK, said: “Bringing Peter on board to head up the Midlands legal services hub marks an important milestone in the development of our legal services offering, both locally across the region and nationally.

“Peter’s previous big four legal experience means he is part of a growing breed of lawyer that is increasingly in demand. He is ideally placed to support our clients on the challenges and disruption they face. His breadth of knowledge and broader business perspective, combined with high quality legal expertise and the ability to operate effectively within a multidisciplinary professional services environment, will significantly enhance what we can offer to our clients.”

Workman added: “I’m excited to be a part of KPMG legal’s rapidly expanding business structuring & transactions division. Our clients and their legal teams are coming under increasing pressure to achieve more with less in today’s complex business environment. KPMG is ideally placed to deliver solutions that help in-house teams achieve that. I look forward to working with the Midlands legal services hub, the wider KPMG network and our clients.”

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Daniel Blood and John French.

Coventry law firm Band Hatton Button is bolstering its senior team with two key appointments.

John French, partner in litigation, and Daniel Blood, partner and head of commercial property, have been appointed to the firm’s board.

French John, a qualified barrister – who joined Band Hatton Button in 2006 – is the recent past president of the Warwickshire Law Society (2017-19), and has, over the years, carved out niche specialisms in his litigation field, including residential landlord and tenant law, probate disputes, road traffic law and mediation.

Blood joined Band Hatton Button in September 2016, bringing with him big name clients such as the Heart of England Co-Operative Society and Talk Talk Mobile Phones.

He took over as head of his department in April 2018 and has seen the team go from strength to strength during his time and also has strong expansion plans for the future.

The duo’s new roles start from April 6, and take Band Hatton Button’s board up to ten, with Haydn Jones retiring from the board after 42 years with the firm.

Mark Moseley, managing director and board member, said: “John and Daniel have been key contributors behind the firms’ development in recent years and in helping us to achieve consistent year-on-year growth, so we know they will be excellent additions to the board.

“These senior changes come on the eve of a new and exciting dawn for Band Hatton Button, as we prepare to move into larger state-of-the-art premises at Earlsdon Park in late April which lay the foundations for the future expansion we have planned.

“Haydn Jones has also played an instrumental role in the success of Band Hatton Button over the years, and while we will be sad to see him retire from our board, he will very much remain with the business, working as a consultant.”

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An experienced planning and design professional, with a career spanning more than 15 years, has joined development consultancy Pegasus Group.

James Walch has been appointed urban design director at the company’s Birmingham office, and brings with him a breadth of experience in the built environment and a specialism in masterplanning and urban design.

He joins from Brownhill Hayward Brown, and his appointment comes as Pegasus Group continues its national expansion of urban design services and the business looks to strengthen its design offering in the Midlands.

Walch is a qualified architect specialising in master planning and residential projects. His experience covers a wide range of sectors including conservation, commercial, mixed-use, healthcare and education, taking projects from inception through to completion.

He said: “I am delighted to be joining Pegasus Group at a time when the company’s ambitions address the rise in demand for work in urban design across the country.

“I am passionate about placemaking and creating sustainable places for the future secured by a strong design rationale. The ability to design at different scales and understand the implications of proposals at the macro and micro level ensures that schemes are underpinned by the principles of good urbanism while being deliverable and commercially sound.”

Tony Bateman, Pegasus Group’s managing director, said: “We are delighted to welcome someone of James’ calibre to our Birmingham office where we are confident his many years of experience will enable us to support and grow our urban design offering to clients.”