KPMG Law continues its ambitious growth strategy with announcement of new senior hires
KPMG Law continues to make positive strides in efforts to double the size of its legal service offering in the UK by 2025.
KPMG Law continues to make positive strides in efforts to double the size.
KPMG Law continues to make positive strides in efforts to double the size of its legal service offering in the UK by 2025, with the arrival of several key new hires.
A refreshed strategy and a focus on building strength and depth in KPMG Law’s legal advisory business has been marked by the arrival of Stuart Bedford from Linklaters in April, to head up the division, taking over from Nick Roome.
Additionally, following successful careers, six senior hires have been made by KPMG Law at Partner level, having built their legal expertise within big law firms.
The expansion plans are a critical element of KPMG UK’s £300m growth strategy, driven by its Chief Executive Jon Holt, to support the long-term growth and fundamental transformation of its UK business.
The continued commitment to invest in KPMG Law recognises how important quality integrated legal services are to the firm’s client base and the importance of the UK market to KPMG Global Legal Services’ growth strategy.
Stuart Bedford, Head of KPMG Law in the UK, said:
“It’s an exciting time to be at KPMG Law; not only as part of the rapidly growing and evolving UK Legal Services market, but also as we look forward to the opportunities Generative AI brings to the legal profession, ourselves, and our clients.
“As we transform the ways we deliver trusted legal advice to clients, our people will continue to be our differentiator. There has never been a more critical time to ensure we focus on growing our business with high-calibre lawyers who see the advantages of our ‘Law plus’ model, which enables us to leverage the expertise of our colleagues in Tax, Consulting, and Deal Advisory to help create business solutions to legal challenges.”
KPMG Law’s senior hires include Lee Ellis, who joins their award-winning Tax Disputes business offering to focus on Direct Tax; Laura Fisher, who joins from Baker McKenzie to continue to build their International Business Reorganisations team; David Cummings, joining from Mischon de Reya, who will focus on solving contentious and non-contentious client challenges in employment; and Kelly Whiter, who joins from Fladgate and PwC to focus on growing KPMG Law’s inbound corporate immigration business.
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In addition to building strength and depth to existing areas of the business, Lisa Navarro and Chris Thomson’s arrival to KPMG Law offers new sector specialism and solutions to clients. Lisa, whose background includes running her own consultancy and time at Greenburg Traurig, will head up Regulatory Solutions advising utilities clients in water, energy and aviation sectors. Chris will spearhead the Energy Sector, focusing on a mix of corporate M&A and project work across fuel, renewables and emerging energy technologies such as hydrogen, green fuels and carbon capture. Chris joins KPMG Law from Squire Patton Boggs having previously been a Partner at Dentons.
Stuart added:
“Our mission - to build an incredible team of legal professionals who are experts in their respective fields - continues in the UK and globally. Spanning 85 countries, KPMG Law global offers clients business solutions to legal challenges: leading with law, and enabled by technology, we leverage our global alliances with Microsoft, ServiceNow and a range of technology providers, together with legal transformation consultants.
“I am excited to see what the next 12 months will bring as we create real depth to our legal capability, ensuring we have a complete suite of solutions to offer clients in the UK and globally. As we continue to build our law business, expect even more from KPMG Law; from new top tier talent to exciting market maker news on the ways we are embedding technology into every stage of our client delivery model. ‘Law plus’ solutions will enable our clients to prepare for the next frontier of legal and at KPMG Law, we will be right there at the forefront.”
Notes to Editor:
Lisa Navarro: Partner, Head of Regulatory
Lisa Navarro will provide support and advice on regulatory matters across a range of sectors with particular focus on regulated utilities in water, energy and aviation sectors. Lisa joined having spent several years operating her own legal consultancy, prior to which she had been a partner in the Competition and Regulatory Team at Greenberg Traurig. Lisa is ranked as a tier one adviser in Chambers and Partners for her work in Energy and Natural Resources: Water.
“I was attracted to KPMG Law by the ability to bring to my clients, and my practice, the benefits of a multi-disciplinary environment where legal and advisory services can be offered in a joined up and coherent way. Legal advice should never sit in a vacuum, but the traditional model of delivering legal services can lead to that outcome. The benefits to clients of advising on a legal problem are naturally limited if you can’t then help to deliver implementation of the solution, but KPMG’s ‘Law Plus’ model is designed to deliver that holistic service.
“I’m also looking forward to drawing on the extensive pool of sector expertise and knowledge, that can only be delivered by an organisation with KPMG’s breadth and depth.”
Lee Ellis: Partner, Tax Disputes
Lee Ellis has joined the firm from Stewarts Law LLP and is based in Leeds and Manchester. Lee is an established disputes resolution lawyer, having worked both in HMRC’s legal team and in private practice. His focus will be on direct tax, in particular protecting claims for tax incentives and cross border issues.
“The challenge of growing and broadening the Tax Disputes team offering into new areas and growing KPMG Law’s already stellar client list attracted me to join KPMG Law. I am excited to work with colleagues across disciplines to grow the award winning Tax Disputes team and for clients the ‘Law Plus’ approach offers a compelling offering that combines technical tax and legal expertise.”
Laura Fisher, Partner, International Business Reorganizations
Laura Fisher has joined its renowned International Business Reorganisations team. Laura is a dedicated reorganisation specialist and is recognised by Legal 500 as a ‘Rising Star’ in this area. Laura joined from Baker McKenzie where she had spent her entire career.
David Cummings, Partner, Workforce – Employment
David Cummings has joined the Employment Law team, based in London. A recognised expert in both contentious and non-contentious employment law, David joined from Mishcon de Reya, having spent more than 10 years with Allen & Overy. David’s principal area of focus will be Financial Services.
“I am excited, following 20 years at a traditional law firm, by the multi-disciplinary opportunities on a global scale supported by deep technology capabilities that KPMG law provides. Joining KPMG Law at this stage of dynamic growth, offers me the opportunity to be part of and help drive the employment law offering as part of that growth.
“In my space, the ‘Law Plus’ model provides an amazing platform to give clients what they need: best in class legal advice, incorporating multi-dimensional solutions in strategy, consulting, transformation, data analytics, tax and reward. Being at KPMG Law, within this environment will enable me to help clients with holistic people solutions to complex problems with a very commercial and pragmatic focus and insight.”
Chris Thomson, Partner, Corporate Deals and Structuring
Chris Thomson has joined to spearhead its energy sector offering, focusing on a mix of corporate M&A and project work across fuel as well as renewables and emerging energies, in particular, transition technologies such as hydrogen, green fuels and carbon capture. Chris joined from Squire Patton Boggs having previously been a Partner at Dentons and having worked at Herbert Smith Freehills both in London and the Middle East.
“I am excited about the opportunity to build a new business and team on an established platform. KPMG has an amazing position in the advisory market for the energy sector and acts for many of my existing clients.
“At KPMG Law I will have the opportunity to become involved in deals earlier than lawyers traditionally do and also to develop as a lawyer by working more closely with KPMG’s non-legal advisory teams, particularly by learning from the financial modelling discussions that underlie many of the contracts we negotiate and draft.”
Kelly Whiter, Partner, Workforce – Immigration
Kelly Whiter has joined its immigration practice. Kelly is an immigration lawyer specialising in UK inbound immigration matters with over 20 years’ experience specialising in advising organisations on corporate immigration matters. She joined from Fladgate where she was a partner; prior to that Kelly worked at Price Waterhouse Coopers.
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KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, operates from 20 offices across the UK with approximately 17,000 partners and staff. The UK firm recorded a revenue of £2.72 billion in the year ended 30 September 2022.
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