Michael Flaherty has been appointed as a tax partner with BDO. He will be based in Guilford and will develop private client taxation services across the south, London and overseas. Flaherty has 20 years’ experience in private client services and specialises in the provision of tax advice to high net worth individuals (HNWIs), families and trustees and companies. He has previously worked for two of the Big Four accountancy firms as well as global banks in London, Cayman and Jersey.

Mazars has added Neil Fletcher to its forensic and investigation services team where he will lead the firm’s investigations practice. He joins from LafargeHolcim, where he was head of group investigations. Previously, he spent nine years at BP Plc, where he was director in the fraud and misconduct investigation team. The firm also welcomes this years' intake of more than 170 trainees. The new joiners, from school leavers to graduates and those on industrial placements, will be working across a range of service lines including audit, tax, outsourcing, financial planning, consulting, forensic and investigation services, employee benefits and actuarial. 

FTI Consulting, a business advisory firm, has appointed Matthew Richardson as a managing director in its corporate finance practice in London. He is experienced in corporate recovery services particularly in cross-border insolvency involving international litigation, fraud investigation, asset tracking and realisation of complex and illiquid assets. He joins FTI consulting from an independent provider of restructuring, financial and corporate advisory solutions in the British Virgin Islands where he was senior manager. Richardson began his career with a Big Four firm in 2000.

MHA MacIntyre Hudson has appointed Alison Conley as a tax partner in its London office. She will work with the corporate finance teams and international clients requiring cross-border tax advice. Conley specialised in international tax with a Big Four firm before being made a partner with BDO. She then returned to the Big Four as a partner before becoming a director of a specialist tax and business advisory firm.

Clemence Hoar Cummings, chartered accountancy firm based in Romford, has recruited extra staff as part of its expansion in Essex and East London. The firm enjoyed a 16% rise in client instructions between April 2015 and April 2016 and has recorded a further increase since the start of the new financial year.

Larking Gowen partners, David Jefford and Anne Richardson, are set to retire in April 2017. They have a combined experience of 80 years and have worked for Larking Gowen for most of their careers. Jefford joined the firm in 1977 and Richardson in 1978.

Haslers chartered accountants based in Essex has appointed Pambos Patsalides as partner. He joins from another accountancy practice in London with most of his career spent at a top 10 UK accountancy practice. He specialises in the compliance needs of owner managed businesses at different stages of their life cycle.

Peter Davis joins Cornerstone Research as a senior vice president and will lead the firm’s European competition practice. Davis joins from Compass Lexecon, where he was executive vice president. Previously, he has been deputy chairman of the UK Competition Commission and president of the Association of Competition Economics. He brings expertise in European and international competition matters, ranging from market, regulatory, and merger investigations to follow-on damages actions.

Sally Holland has been promoted to partner at PPS after being with the firm since 2001. She joined the chartered accountants when she was 19 years old, as the firm’s first trainee, after completing her A levels and choosing a career in accountancy.