Monday
Charles Russell Speechlys appointed Peter Brabant as an international arbitration and investigations partner. Mr Brabant has joined Charles Russell Speechlys from King & Spalding, where he was counsel. Mr Brabant specialises in resolving international construction and energy disputes, as well as investor-state arbitrations relating to decommissioning and energy transition.
The UK’s biggest ISA pot is worth more than £11.6 million. Wealth manager RBC Brewin Dolphin obtained the data on the country’s leading ISA investors following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to HMRC. HMRC said that according to latest figures for 2020-21, the top 25 ISA investors are sitting on pots averaging £11,660,000 each - meaning the investor at the top of the tree is likely to have amassed a fortune worth considerably more.
Tuesday
Law firm Macfarlanes made six partner promotions - including two private client specialists. From 1 April 2024, private client specialists Paul Hardwick and Michael Shaw, alongside Felicity Powell (corporate and M&A), Laura Bridgewater and Fred Snowball (litigation and dispute resolution) and Joe Robinson (tax and reward) will join Macfarlanes' partnership. [Read more]
The number of UK taxpayers under 30 with an annual income over £1 million has increased by eight percent from 770 in 2021/22 to a five-year high of 830 in 2022/23 (year end 5 April), according to research by accountancy and business advisory firm Lubbock Fine. The rise in younger £1 million earners is partly being driven by increased earnings for sports and media stars such as footballers. The average salary for a Premier League footballer has now reached £3.6 million per year, more than twice the average salary for a player in the next highest paid league, Spain’s La Liga, at £1.7 million per year.
Wednesday
Multi-family office Stonehage Fleming named Chris Cameron as a trustee director in its Jersey family office division. With 25 years' experience in trust and company administration, Mr Cameron joined Stonehage Fleming from Crestbridge Family Office Services where he was a client services director. Prior to this, Mr Cameron spent 16 years at HSBC Private Bank (HSBC Trustee Channel Islands Limited), most recently as senior trust manager.
Global professional services provider Ocorian appointed Frank Hattann as chief commercial officer. Based in Dublin, he will lead the business development and marketing teams at Ocorian as the group continues to invest in further strengthening its senior leadership and go to market strategy. His previous role was chief executive at Alpha BGS Commercial, an independent consultancy providing advisory services to organisations to help devise, build and scale revenue. Prior to that, he was global head of sales at Intertrust where he managed the sales operations team. He has also held senior sales leadership roles at Microsoft, LinkedIn and PayPal.
Thursday
UK law firm Harbottle & Lewis named Catherine Bedford as its new senior partner, with effect from Monday 1 April 2024. Ms Bedford will succeed Gerrard Tyrrell after a tenure of nearly 17 years as senior partner. Her practice encompasses the full spectrum of family law in instances of relationship breakdown and she is recognised for her work advising on the highest profile, highest value and most complex cases in the family courts, often faced by significant public and media scrutiny.
European law firm Fieldfisher promoted Alice Vink to partner. Ms Vink is a personal tax and wealth planning specialist, with a particular focus on international structuring and wealth preservation. She works for individuals, families, trustees, family offices, charities and multinational organisations, providing advice on multijurisdictional wealth and business structures, including family governance and succession planning. She has particular experience in advising entrepreneurs with new wealth, family members with inherited wealth, and those managing well-established family structures looking to protect wealth and its transition to future generations.