People: Armstrong Watson; Wilkin Chapman; Berwins; and more
Armstrong Watson has further strengthened its Yorkshire tax team with six key appointments in the last 12 months.
In corporate tax, the accountants, business, and financial advisory firm has welcomed tax director Nicole Hilton and senior tax manager Mel Harrison, and has promoted Janine Levine to tax director.
The firm has also welcomed senior private client tax manager Becky Fraser and trust tax manager Luke Pickering, while Ben Tetley has joined as VAT and indirect tax manager.
Tax partner James Fraser said: “From a Yorkshire perspective, we have strengthened the team over the last year with senior appointments in VAT, private client tax and corporate tax. We have also recruited at more junior levels and will welcome our graduate trainees in September.
Nicole Hilton
“All of these measures strengthen our ability to support our clients across a wide range of issues, and also to support businesses (and the individuals behind those businesses) from start-up through to exit.”
Hilton joined Armstrong Watson in April after 14 years at Mazars. A corporate and international tax specialist with extensive experience in advising large multinational groups and entrepreneurial businesses across a variety of sectors, she also previously worked for EY and Dixon Hughes Goodman in the United States.
She will develop both new and existing client relationships and help drive growth for the Leeds office and wider tax team.
Her background working with large international businesses will also service the firm’s larger corporate clients, including inbounds and outbounds, with tax issues, in relation to tax governance, international tax and other corporate tax implications.
She said: “I am passionate about providing relevant, straightforward tax advice and I have always enjoyed working with owner-managed businesses, supporting them as they grow and face more complex tax issues both in the UK and overseas.
“My role at Armstrong Watson allows me to do what I love as part of a firm that puts people first and has core values that really resonate with me.
“It also provides an exciting opportunity for me to develop the tax advisory service offering for our client base to help drive further growth.”
Levine, who also joined Armstrong Watson from Mazars, has more than 25 years’ tax consultancy experience.
She has a portfolio of family and owner-managed businesses and supports the partner group in improving processes, leading on advisory projects, delivering high-standards of client service as well as achieving financial targets.
Since joining the firm as a senior tax manager she has put many processes in place, brought on new team members and delivered training, resulting in her promotion to tax director in late 2023.
She said: “In my role as tax director I hope to continue to build a good strong tax consultancy team that can support each other, develop themselves as well as deliver excellent client service that we can continue to be proud of.”
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Three legal experts in dispute resolution and debt recovery litigation have joined East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire-based law firm Wilkin Chapman, to reinforce its growing dispute resolution and recoveries departments.
Victoria Quinn, Sarah Hamby, and Jessica Dickinson all made the move from Hull-based practice Gosschalks to join Wilkin Chapman’s teams in Beverley and Grimsby.
Quinn is a member of the Property Litigation Association and has over 20 years of experience in real estate litigation.
She will be working with businesses, investors and developers in relation to lease renewals, rent recovery, lease enforcement and estate management, to include advising on and serving break and option notices and recovering possession.
She said: “I’m pleased to be joining Wilkin Chapman along with Sarah and Jess who I’ve worked with for a number of years and leading the dispute resolution team in Beverley.
“I have a strong background in the licenced leisure and retail sectors, having worked for leading pub-companies, bookmakers and high-street retailers regarding the legal aspects of managing their estates and property portfolios, from strategic and reactive perspectives.
“I also act for operators and site providers in dealing with infrastructure roll-out under the Electronic Communications Code, which is prevalent given Government initiatives concerning gigabit broadband and connectivity; such initiatives require specialists who can navigate the Code and the tribunal, and I have expertise in dealing with these issues.”
Hamby is a senior associate and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. She has 15 years of experience in resolving contentious disputes for businesses across the region.
She said: “I’m very pleased to join Wilkin Chapman with my colleagues, where I’ll join Victoria in bringing specialist knowledge of real estate litigation to the team’s growing arsenal of resources.
“Businesses seeking support on lease renewals, possession claims, adverse possession claims, boundary disputes, or easement and rights of way disputes can come to us for specific advice in absolute confidence.
“We’re expertly positioned to deal with nuisance claims, property-related negligence claims, debt recovery and enforcement and service of property notices, such as break notices and disputes that fall under the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1954.”
Hamby will specialise in commercial property disputes, acting for landlords and tenants in relation to lease renewals, possession claims, disputes concerning lease obligations including rent arrears and general estate management.
She is also experienced in advising operators and landowners of their rights and obligations in relation to the Electronic Communications Code, which contains rights designed to facilitate the installation and maintenance of telecoms networks.
Finally, Dickinson is re-joining Wilkin Chapman to work in recoveries with a particular focus on energy litigation. She originally worked at the firm in 2015 as a paralegal.
She said: “I’ll be working from our Grimsby office to offer businesses expert legal advice in relation to the recovery of property-related debts, with a particular focus on energy litigation.
“With the fixed recoverable costs regime having been extended last autumn to cover higher value claims, providing an efficient service and value for money to clients is more important than ever.
“Working with the recoveries team is the ideal opportunity for me to combine impactful legal advice with real value, fairness and efficiency for businesses both locally and across the UK.”
Josh Briggs, partner, and head of dispute resolution, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome three talented experts in dispute resolution and debt recovery litigation to the firm.
“Victoria, Sarah and Jessica add real expertise to the team and demonstrates our local market strength and growth plans for this area.”
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Yorkshire law firm, Berwins, has promoted a rising star.
Parminder Matharu, who also heads the firm’s Commercial Property unit, has been appointed associate director.
CEO Paul Berwin said: “Since joining the firm in 2022, Parminder has made an outstanding contribution not only to our business, but also to the businesses of the clients she and her team represent.
“Promotion to associate director is both a reflection of that contribution and an investment in the ongoing development of our Commercial Property offering.”
Matharu added: “Berwins is an exciting place to be at the moment. Across the firm, we’re seeing developments which will enhance the way legal services are offered and the Commercial Property team is very much a part of that.”
“Personally, I’m thrilled to have been promoted to associate director at this time and am looking forward to continuing to contribute to the continued growth and development of the firm.”
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Leeds and London-based insolvency and restructuring firm, PKF Littlejohn Advisory, has appointed Jonathan Burke as a senior insolvency administrator to strengthen the firm’s restructuring and insolvency capabilities in a time of high demand.
Joining the team with four years of experience in corporate insolvencies and restructuring, Burke will support the PKF Littlejohn Advisory team in the restructuring, sale or liquidation of businesses in need of turnaround or financial support.
He said: “I’m excited to get started and understand more about how businesses can overcome their financial struggles and focus on growth.
“The end goal for me is to become an appointment taker, learning from the rest of the team within PKF.”
James Sleight, partner and head of Leeds at PKF Littlejohn Advisory, said: “Jonathan’s appointment will support a busy team in our efforts to help deliver positive outcomes for businesses and creditors in a tough economic environment.
“His enthusiasm for the industry and hard work ethic will be a real asset to the team.”
