Appointments: Grant Thornton, Irwin Mitchell, Ward Hadaway

GRANT THORNTON is adding to its Sheffield team with the appointments of Claire Davis as director in its corporate finance advisory practice and Donna Steel as director in the Yorkshire assurance practice.

Claire has worked for nine years in corporate finance and M&A having worked on a number of high profile deals.

Claire will continue to be based in the firm’s Sheffield office and will focus on the Yorkshire and North East deals market as well as supporting Grant Thornton’s wider audit, tax and advisory services across the North of England.

Donna has been with Grant Thornton since 1999, having trained and qualified as an ICAEW chartered accountant with the firm.

Paul Houghton, partner at Grant Thornton in Sheffield, said: “Both Claire and Donna have played a vital part in the success of the Sheffield practice and these promotions are a well-deserved recognition of this as well as a demonstration of our commitment to further developing our specialist teams here in Sheffield.

“As a firm, we believe in nurturing and rewarding up-and-coming talent.”

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A NEW partner has joined the Sheffield office of law firm, Irwin Mitchell.

The firm has appointed employment partner Kirsty Ayre to its Business legal services (BLS) team.

Ms Ayre moves to Irwin Mitchell from Pinsent Masons and is the fifth new partner to be announced by the firm’s business division since the beginning of 2015.

Joining a team of 50 qualified employment law specialists, Kirsty specialises in handling both contentious and non-contentious work.

Ms Ayre said: “Irwin Mitchell has a well-respected and highly credible employment team with a strong national profile and I am looking forward to joining the firm as it enters an exciting period of growth and expansion.”

Niall Baker, chief executive of Irwin Mitchell’s BLS division, said: “Kirsty is a superb addition to our national employment team. She is highly respected in her field and also someone who complements our broader business offering across Sheffield and the Yorkshire region.

“To have already announced five senior Partners since the start of 2015 is another strong signal of our intention to invest and further enhance our offering to commercial clients.

“Our priority is to support the advancement of our clients not just through the provision of positive legal solutions, but by embracing and really understanding their needs.”

Other Partners to be announced by Irwin Mitchell’s BLS team so far this year are Simon Griffiths, who joins the London office as national head of Equity Capital Markets.

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LAW firm Ward Hadaway has appointed Ian O’Toole as a partner.
Mr O’Toole has more than 15 years’ specialist experience advising on all aspects of pensions matters.

His recruitment comes as the latest in a series of major shake-ups hits the sector as the Government frees up regulations on cashing in pensions for the over-55s.

Mr O’Toole said: “I am delighted to be joining Ward Hadaway. The pensions sector is undergoing some seismic changes with the introduction of auto-enrolment and the freeing up of regulations governing the use of individuals’ pension pots.

“These changes are set to have major effects on companies of all sizes and all kinds. As part of a leading full service firm such as Ward Hadaway, we in the firm’s Pensions team are able to call on colleagues across a range of different departments to offer truly comprehensive advice to businesses, trustees and other professionals in the pensions sector.”

Colin Hewitt, partner and head of commercial at Ward Hadaway, said: “With companies facing some real challenges on the pensions front, we wanted to really strengthen our team in the area and there is no doubt that the recruitment of Ian does exactly that.

“As well as having a sound grasp of the technicalities of pensions law, Ian is also extremely adept at using his knowledge to provide the kind of commercially-focused advice which companies really value.

“I am sure he will prove a terrific addition to our Pensions team and be of great assistance to our clients across the country.”