People: DLA Piper; DWF; Piper Homes; Prime Accountants

Following on from announcing the promotion of Chloe Barker and Jonathan Clarke to DLA Piper’s partnership, DLA Piper has made a number of senior-lawyer promotions across in its Birmingham office.

One lawyer has been promoted to legal director and five to senior associate.

Legal Director:
Bethan Odey – Employment

Senior Associates:
Aino Miles – Finance, Projects and Restructuring
Daniel Clarke – Real Estate
Jaskiran Bansal – Real Estate (Construction)
Kirsty Underhill – Corporate
Kurt Davies – Intellectual Property and Technology

Noel Haywood, managing partner of DLA Piper’s Birmingham office, said: “Huge congratulations to all of our promoted lawyers. I am delighted that each of these individuals has been recognised for their hard work, commitment and excellence.  Developing our people and rewarding their talent with recognition and progression is a core element of our firm’s global strategy, and we continue to invest in our people and their capabilities to help them realise their full potential at DLA Piper and deliver the highest quality service to our clients.”

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DWF has appointed Tom Rank as a new partner to bolster the tax and private capital team in Birmingham.

Tom joins DWF following seven years at Gowling WLG.

As a corporate tax partner, Rank brings a wealth of experience working with clients across a range of sectors, including financial services, green energy, mining, indirect real estate and advanced manufacturing.

He has expertise in corporate tax and share scheme matters, particularly in resolving structural tax issues on high value deals and he will work closely with DWF’s corporate team.

Jon Stevens, global head of tax and private capital and Birmingham office managing partner at DWF said: “We are delighted to welcome Tom to the business. His exceptional expertise and commitment to excellence perfectly align with our core values.

“Tom will be able to support clients with a wide range of tax matters and I look forward to working closely with him to expand our offering in Birmingham and beyond.”

“We look forward to expanding our team further, tapping into the vibrant talent pool of Birmingham. With each new addition to our team, we heighten our expertise, enhance our capabilities and deepen our commitment to delivering exceptional service for our clients.”

Rank added: “DWF’s culture and team ethos are incredibly appealing and I am thrilled to join the team. Together we can build on the existing tax practice at DWF and enhance our ability to provide exceptional service to our clients.”

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Sarah Cooper has been recruited as chief financial officer to help drive strategic growth at both Piper Homes and Piper Living.

She worked for Kier Living as finance director, the residential house building arm of Kier Group, delivering 2,000 housing completions and £375m revenue through four regions spread across the UK.

Cooper has also worked closely with housing associations and local authorities.

She joins Piper from her current role as divisional finance director for Countryside Partnerships.

She said: “I am excited to join the Piper Team, we have a clear vision and aligned values that will drive our growth even further. Exciting times and opportunities ahead.”

Darren Farmer joins the board as technical director bringing a wealth of experience in the house building sector with over 35 years’ experience in project, operational and technical roles.

He joins from Hayfield Homes.

Farmer said: “I am very pleased to be joining the Piper Homes family at this exciting time for the business, and thrilled to be able to connect with and add value to such an experienced and diverse board of directors.”

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A tax manager from a Coventry accountancy firm is celebrating more than two decades at the company with a promotion to a senior role.

Paislei Godley has worked for Prime Accountants Group for 22 years and has recently been promoted to the position of senior tax manager.

Prime has offices in Coventry, Solihull and Birmingham, and Godley– who is based in the Coventry office within Whitley Business Park – joined the firm in November 2001 as an office junior.

She has worked across numerous departments in eight different roles, during which time she discovered her passion for tax accounting.

She began her training soon after starting as a tax secretary, passing her Association of Tax Technicians (ATT) exams in 2011, followed by her Charted Institute of Tax (CTA) exams in 2013.

She said: “Working at Prime is a real privilege. I started in an admin role back in 2001 and soon found a passion for the tax industry, so I spoke to our managing director Kevin Johns to share my desire to train in this new area.

“Kevin went above and beyond to support me. I was provided with a mentor who not only showed me the workings of tax but helped me in passing my exams.

“Throughout the two decades I’ve worked at Prime, the support and approachability from the whole team has been a key driver for my continued commitment to the company and my career in tax.”

She said Prime’s approach to flexible working had helped her throughout her time at the company.

Kevin Johns, managing director of Prime, said: “Paislei has always been a fantastic employee and we’d all like to congratulate her on her well-deserved new senior role.

“We’re glad that having the ability to work flexibly has helped Paislei in her career with us. We understand that people have a life outside of work, and we are proud to be an employer which allows flexibility where needed.”