Tilney Smith & Williamson, the leading wealth management and professional services group which is set to re-brand to Evelyn Partners in the summer, has continued to invest in its Bristol office with a significant new appointment and a raft of promotions in its Restructuring & Recovery and Advisory Consulting teams.

Experienced restructuring specialist Nigel Fox joins the firm as a Director in a move which significantly strengthens the range of restructuring services the Bristol office is now able to offer businesses and individuals in the region.

Nigel is a chartered accountant and licensed insolvency practitioner with more than 30 years’ restructuring and insolvency experience. He gained his experience initially at a Big Four firm and latterly at RSM where he was a Restructuring and Insolvency Partner.

Partner and turnaround expert Claire Burden, who currently heads up the Advisory Consulting team in Bristol, is also taking on responsibility for the office’s Restructuring & Recovery team as part of a “turnaround first” approach aimed at helping more clients.

Claire is accredited by the Institute for Turnaround and has many years of industry experience at Board level, successfully working across sectors on troubleshooting, turnaround and transformation projects. She worked for a number of years in a Big Four restructuring team, advising lenders and corporates, and working on insolvencies.

As part of the firm’s investment in its Bristol office, it has also announced a number of senior promotions.

Matt Kennison, who heads up the Courtwork client services team which specifically deals with the firm’s bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation appointments, has been promoted to Director and Dave Bridge, who has worked at Tilney Smith & Williamson for seven years and has 12 years’ experience of both corporate and personal insolvency, has been promoted to Associate Director.

Greg Palfrey, Head of Restructuring & Recovery Services and Advisory Consultancy at Tilney Smith & Williamson commented:

“I am very pleased to welcome Nigel to the team. Having worked with Nigel previously, it is great to be working together again with him. I am also pleased that Claire has agreed to take on an expanded role in our Bristol office. As can be seen we are continuing to invest in expanding the range of restructuring, recovery and advisory services we can offer to business and personal clients. Nigel is a significant senior hire for us and his appointment, and Claire’s new role, recognises our ambition to continue growing in the market.”

Claire Burden added:

“We have long advised companies to speak to our Restructuring & Recovery Services teams as early as possible, when there are more options available to help. But it can be a difficult ask for clients to speak to people with ‘Insolvency Practitioner’ on their business cards at the first sign of cash issues or distress. Worse still, if a lender or lawyer has introduced us to the client, it can risk relationships and be counterproductive, at a time when everyone should be working together to fix the problem.

“We have listened to what our clients are telling us and we are changing the way we work to ensure we help as many businesses as we can, as early as possible. I’m delighted to be appointed to lead a combined team where we will take a ‘turnaround first’ approach. As part of the firm’s plans to continue investing in the region we are bringing senior hires to bolster our offering to clients and I’m therefore very pleased to welcome Nigel on board.”

Nigel Fox added:

“I am delighted to be joining the firm and I am looking forward to contributing to the firm’s growth.”