Latest appointments: Eversheds expands team; Deloitte adds to tax team and more

LAW firm Eversheds’ local government group has been strengthened by the appointment of Frances Woodhead as a consultant based in Leeds. 

Ms Woodhead was previously director of legal services and deputy monitoring officer for Sheffield City Council. 

She has advised on high level strategic issues on behalf of the Council as part of its corporate management team, as well as advising on legal and governance issues.

Ms Woodhead has advised on education issues for around 10 years and Eversheds said she would be a key link between Eversheds’ local government and education teams.

Eversheds partner and head of local government, Judith Barnes, also based in Leeds, said: “Frances is set to be a key member of our local government team going forward. Frances has a range of complementary skills and experience which will, in particular, enhance our education expertise.”

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PROPERTY tax specialist Matt Smith has joined Deloitte as director after 10 years with KPMG.

He joins the tax depreciation team at the firm that already has one of the North’s largest and fastest growing teams of tax professionals with more than 100 specialists in its Leeds office.

Mr Smith has worked across the North of England and Scotland for a number of years advising businesses about how to maximise tax reliefs following significant capital investment. Such capital expenditure is typically related to buildings and construction projects or plant investment.

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LEEDS-based BCL Legal has made a number of key appointments within its senior management and consultant teams.

Four of the new starters will be working as fee earning consultants. Ben Hartridge joins the in-house legal team with a focus on placing solicitors and company secretaries in businesses across the North.

Ify Okpalugo will be advising paralegals and legal executives looking to work in private practice.

Ben Gates has joined the interim and temporary contracts team where he will source temporary opportunities for lawyers acting for private practices, in house legal departments as well as public sector and not-for-profit businesses across the Midlands.

Joe Gregory places solicitors within private practices in Yorkshire and the North East with a particular focus on firms in Sheffield, Newcastle, Hull and Durham.

Sarah Thomas joins as training and operations director and will be responsible for the training and development of all consultants and how that interfaces with the day to day operations of the business.

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TAX advisor Jonathan Griffin has joined the Sheffield office of accountants and business advisors Grant Thornton.

Mr Griffin has joined as partner within the tax team specialising in private client individuals and financial planning.

He has more than 20 years’ experience as an accountant and has been with Grant Thornton in the Leicester and Oxfordshire offices since graduating in 1987.

During his time at Grant Thornton, Mr Griffin has also headed up the entrepreneur and private client group and has extensive international tax experience. He is a chairman of the national Financial Planning Board.