People: TLT; Sedulo Funding Solutions
National law firm TLT has appointed Jacob Cork as a partner in the Trusts and Estates team, strengthening the firm’s expertise in private wealth and family law and adding to the team’s international capabilities.
Based in TLT’s Birmingham office, Cork joined from Mills & Reeve, bringing nine years of experience advising on a wide range of estate planning and taxation issues, helping protect family wealth across generations.
His practice typically includes advising on wills and trusts, and succession planning for family business owners.
He has in-depth experience of dealing with foreign jurisdictions, allowing him to take a strategic and holistic approach to protecting his clients’ assets.
Mark Elder, partner and head of location in Birmingham said: “This latest hire to our team in Birmingham is a major milestone for our tax and family practice. The Midlands is an important region to many of our clients who will require Jacob’s expertise and knowledge. He is a well-respected and trusted advisor to many, and we’re delighted to welcome him to the firm. Our new private wealth capabilities will play a significant role in establishing our Birmingham office and, in addition to other recent appointments, we expect to announce further hires soon.”
Sedulo Funding Solutions has launched a boutique Birmingham team to build upon success across the spine of the country in Manchester, London, Liverpool and Leeds.
In Birmingham, the newly appointed commercial finance director, Chris Richards, will lead the operation following an extensive banking and advisory career with the likes of Royal Bank of Scotland, Yorkshire Bank and Swoop. 
Richards will be joined by other hires Kasim Jaffer and Vivek Joshi, along with Arpinder Kalley who has been within the business since 2023.
Sedulo chief revenue officer, Leyton Jeffs, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be able to bring in the quality of talent within the new Birmingham funding team. With traditional banks no longer offering the personal service of old, the intention here is that we can be the ‘independent bank’ for Midlands business owners.
“Having not only all financial products at our disposal, but every iteration of that product, combined with the expertise of Chris and his team will be a very powerful proposition for the Midlands business community.”
Chris Richards, commercial finance director (Midlands), said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Leyton and the wider Sedulo team in establishing the brand across Birmingham and the Midlands. The advisory approach of Sedulo mirrors my own in providing SMEs with their own independent bank manager to fill the gap in an underserved market.
