People: BRM; Stafforce; Schofield Sweeney; and more

Sheffield and Chesterfield law firm BRM has appointed Rory Conwill as corporate director.

He joins BRM with over 12 years of corporate legal experience, with his most recent role being as a partner at Lupton Fawcett. His CV also features senior roles at Keebles and Knights.

A well-known dealmaker within South Yorkshire, he brings expertise in advising on various matters, including acquisitions and disposals, reorganisations, secured lending, share schemes and equity investments. 

Conwill has experience of working with clients across a variety of sectors, with a particular focus on manufacturing, healthcare and property development businesses.

He joins BRM after a series of senior appointments and promotions at the firm, with Claire Mayfield-Tulip having been appointed as real estate director in September. 

Conwill said: “I am pleased to be joining the corporate team at BRM. The department has a strong reputation across the region and a large portfolio of long-standing clients.

“The move to BRM has come at a good time for me as I take the next step in my career.

“BRM have experienced a period of growth and success over the past year, and it is clear they are a forward-thinking and modern firm who approach their work in an innovative way to meet their clients’ needs.

“I am keen to contribute to BRM’s increasing presence and success in the market moving forward.”

Sarah Rowland, BRM executive director and head of corporate, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Rory to our corporate department.

“Rory is well-known in the local market and brings with him a wealth of high-level experience. We are pleased to have him on the team.

“Over the past 12 months, our corporate department has worked on a string of high-profile deals and Rory’s appointment comes at the perfect time as we look ahead to the rest of 2024 and into next year.”

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South Yorkshire-based recruitment agency, Stafforce, has appointed Rachel Oldfield as operations manager for South Yorkshire.

With a strong background in recruitment and operational management, she will play a key role in expanding Stafforce’s service offerings.

Under her leadership, the company will not only continue to provide exceptional temporary labour solutions, it will also drive its support to permanent recruitment, further solidifying its position as a comprehensive recruitment partner for businesses in the region.

Alison Cook, brand director for the North of the UK, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Rachel to the Stafforce team.

“Her expertise and leadership perfectly align with our vision for growth and excellence in South Yorkshire.

“As a company with deep roots in this region, Rachel’s appointment marks a significant step in our transformation program.

“We are excited to expand our offerings beyond temporary labour, providing our clients with a full spectrum of recruitment solutions. Rachel’s leadership will be instrumental in achieving our ambitious goals.”

Oldfield added: “I am honoured to join Stafforce at such a pivotal time in the company’s growth. South Yorkshire holds a special place for the company, and I am eager to contribute to its ongoing success.

“My focus will be on delivering excellence to our clients and helping to expand our services to include permanent recruitment, ensuring we meet the evolving needs of businesses across the region.”

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From left, Saby Sambhi, Daniel Bisby, Steven Millward, Ben Stephens and Michael Cantwell

Legal firm, Schofield Sweeney, is expanding its corporate team by welcoming two professionals and a recently qualified solicitor.

Saby Sambhi has joined as a director after previously working at Blacks Solicitors.

He has over a decade of experience acting for clients of all sizes, with extensive experience in the holiday and home parks, manufacturing and tele-communication industries.

He regularly advises his clients on high value and complex disposals and acquisitions in addition to reorganisations/restructures and shareholder arrangements.

Sambhi said: “The corporate team has an excellent reputation in the market and has grown considerably in recent years in terms of headcount and deal volume.

“I am looking forward to helping the team to continue to grow and thrive, increasing the number, value and complexity of the matters which the team deals with.”

Ben Stephens has joined the team as a solicitor. His specialisms include acquisitions and disposals, management buyouts and buy-ins, franchising and pre-pack insolvency transactions.

He has arrived from Weightmans, having qualified in August 2020.

Liam Murphy started his training contract with Schofield Sweeney in September 2022.

After working across several teams in the firm including dispute resolution and real estate, he qualified as a solicitor in September into the corporate team, where he has been based for the past year.

Steven Millward, partner in the corporate team, said: “It is an exciting time for the team and the firm as we expand and build upon our already strong offering.

“2024 has been another year of growth for us as a team and we have visibility of a strong pipeline of activity over the coming months.

“We now have a team of 25 dedicated corporate specialists with expertise in a range of sectors and are well positioned to help collaborate with our ambitious clients as they seek to execute their strategic aims and objectives.”

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From left, Jonathan Lecomber and Tim Clasper

BHP Financial Planning has made a key appointment in securing Jonathan Lecomber as a senior financial planner.

He brings more than 10 years’ experience, most recently at Succession Wealth.

His appointment is in addition to the recent internal promotion of Tim Clasper to the senior management team, as it looks to the future with more than £400m of client’s assets now under its management.

Clasper has worked at accountancy firm BHP’s financial planning arm since 2019 and has joined the senior management team following his completion of the PDW Management Academy.

BHP Financial Planning, which has a team of 28 and advises more than 500 clients including business owners, trustees and individuals, offers services ranging from investment, retirement and tax planning to trusts and estates advice.

Joy Clegg, managing director, said the appointment of Lecomber and promotion of Clasper were part of the privately-owned firm’s succession planning strategy.

Clegg said: “With 2024 marking 25 years since the establishment of BHP Financial Planning, I am immensely proud to have been part of the exciting journey we are on and success we have experienced to date.

“As we move forward with our growth strategy, it’s important to ensure we have the right people in place and the next generation of talent coming through to lead the team and support our clients not just today but into the future.

“Jonathan’s appointment helps us to achieve this, and we are pleased to have him on board alongside Tim’s deserved promotion. We continue to invest in the development of our brilliant team to deliver excellent service to our clients.”

Lecomber said: “BHP Financial Planning is a leading company offering expert impartial financial planning expertise and I’m looking forward to working with the whole team to further develop our offering and continue our success.”

Clegg added: “Alongside putting our longer-term succession strategy in place, we look forward to building on our close and collaborative relationship with the wider team at BHP.

“This includes working with chief information officer Melanie Foster and head of IT Andrew Hibberd to explore ways to harness the power of technology to support our clients’ objectives.”