Rowe lines up FBC Manby Bowdler for growth

FBC Manby Bowdler has strengthened its wills, trusts and estate planning department in Shropshire after partner Margaret Rowe switched from the firm’s Wolverhampton office in favour of Telford.

Ms Rowe, who lives in Ironbridge and joined FBC Manby Bowdler from Hatchers in Shrewsbury in 2011, will head the firm’s five-strong county team.

She said: “We are seeing a real uplift in county cases involving disputed probate, elderly client matters and Court of Protection enquiries as well as more general wills, trust and estate planning work. This is an area of law in which we specialise and so it made sense to consolidate that expertise within a dedicated Shropshire Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Team.

“It’s great to be back working in Shropshire with my colleagues Jane Hughes, Andrew Burn, Sophie Yates and head of department, Julie Burn.”

The team focus on all aspects of wills and probate work, and elderly client matters, including estate planning and succession.

Pensions boost for Mills & Reeve

MILLS & REEVE has recruited Clare Grice from Squire Sanders to head up its pensions team in Birmingham.

Ms Grice, who has joined as partner, will develop the team as a centre of excellence for the provision of pension law. Her role also includes enhancing the firm’s employment offering.

An experienced pensions lawyer, Ms Grice advises trustee boards of all sizes of occupational pension schemes, as well as corporate sponsors. She specialises in a broad range of pensions law work, including establishing new schemes, winding up schemes, scheme mergers, benefit design changes, risk-management and liability reduction exercises.

Steve Allen, Mills & Reeve partner and head of the Birmingham office, said: “We’re delighted to be able to welcome Clare to the firm. Her experience and expertise is a further boost for our preeminent employment team and their clients.”

Meridian scales new heights as it recruits mountaineer and tax expert

SOLIHULL–based Meridian Private Client has strengthened its services with the recruitment of one of the region’s leading tax planning experts.

Jon Croxford, left, joins the firm from Sutton Coldfield-based tax consultant Cleaver Croxford, where he was a partner.  

Croxford, a keen climber and mountaineer in his spare time, is a specialist in personal tax planning and mitigation.

During his career to date, he has spent substantial periods with the ‘Big Four’ accounting practices including a period of five years as head of Deloitte’s private client tax teams in Birmingham and Nottingham and six years with KPMG.

Philip Harrison, a partner at Meridian Private Client, said: the recruitment was a turning point for Meridian and one which would enable the firm to grow rapidly in the future.

“The addition of Jon to our team will broaden our offering to clients in the area of tax planning, enhancing our service to existing clients while enabling us to broaden our appeal through adding complementary skills and building strength in depth,” he said.

“The broader appeal will also be important in serving the needs of other professional advisers who introduce clients to us for a one-off project or for long-term tax planning advice, support which we give without disturbing existing client-professional relationships.

“We have a great platform for further expansion, having recently announced a 12%growth in fee income for our most recent financial year.”