BDO appoints Angela Banerjee as a tax director. 16 Oct 2026 Reading time: 2 minutes Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has appointed Angela Banerjee as a tax director specialising in R&D tax relief. She has more than 15 years' experience across a number of advisory firms as well as expertise in advising innovative businesses on the patent box regime, where profits generated through patents can be reduced to an effective 10% corporation tax rate. Banerjee will be part of BDO Scotland's incentives tax team, helping the firm strengthen its push in R&D and deriving profits from their intellectual property. James Paterson, partner and head of tax in Scotland at BDO, said: "Angela's expertise on R&D tax relief and the Patent Box Regime means that the innovative and entrepreneurial businesses that we support can now benefit from her experience. "Despite the significant savings that businesses investing in innovation can make, many are still unaware of the efficiencies available. To bolster our team with an expert in that field like Angela, who regularly works at the intersection of tax and innovation, is a huge opportunity. We're excited to have her on board and look forward to the knowledge and experience she'll be able to share with our clients and the team." Banerjee added: "BDO has a collaborative culture and a commitment to helping its people and businesses succeed. To be able to work alongside and learn from such talented colleagues, while sharing my knowledge and experience is what attracted me to the firm. "BDO also has an impressive roster of clients, so to be able to support them while growing the firm's innovation service lines is an exciting opportunity."

HURST Corporate Finance appoints partner. Stockport-headquartered accountancy and business advisory firm HURST Corporate Finance has strengthened its corporate finance team with the appointment of James Fieldhouse as partner. James joins from BDO, where he spent more than two decades advising entrepreneurs, businesses and private equity firms on mergers and acquisitions, disposals, management buyouts and fundraising. He joined BDO in 2003, progressing through its deal advisory team to become a partner in its Manchester mergers and acquisitions practice. His expertise spans mid-market transactions across sectors including technology, business services, manufacturing, media, consumer goods and healthcare. At HURST Corporate Finance, James will support clients undertaking acquisitions, business sales and investment transactions, typically valued between £5 million and £50 million. James said: "I'm delighted to be joining HURST Corporate Finance as a partner at such an exciting point in the firm's development. "I've long admired HURST's reputation in the market, and in particular the quality of its people and the strong relationships it has built with clients and the wider business community. "The opportunity to join the firm as it enters its next phase of development as part of the Dains Group was a particularly compelling one, combining the strength and heritage of HURST with significant opportunities for further growth. "I'm looking forward to bringing my M&A experience to the team, with a particular focus on supporting clients across the business services and TMT sectors, while continuing to work across the broader market. "I'm excited to play a part in HURST's continued growth and to build on the firm's success as we enter this next chapter." James' appointment comes as HURST pursues ambitious expansion plans following its integration into the Dains Group earlier this year. The firm is targeting £20 million in annual turnover by 2028, supported by recruitment, new service lines and investment in technology. Part of a wider group operating from 30 locations across the UK and Ireland, HURST is also looking to expand its national client base and strengthen its specialist advisory capabilities. Ben Bradley, head of HURST Corporate Finance, added: "James is a highly regarded M&A adviser and we are delighted to welcome him to our team. "His extensive experience advising business owners, corporates and investors, combined with his strong network of relationships, will further strengthen our ability to support clients throughout the transaction process. "His appointment gives us additional senior capacity and he is exactly the calibre of senior talent we want to attract as we enter our next phase of growth." Ben added: "We have a strong pipeline of live and prospective transactions, and continue to see solid demand from both trade buyers and private equity for high-quality businesses. "One area where we expect to see continued activity is technical services and maintenance, including HVAC, M&E, fire safety, compliance, testing and inspection, as well as businesses serving the wider built environment and social housing sectors. "These businesses benefit from resilient demand, recurring revenues and increasing regulatory requirements, and the North West has a large population of well-established owner-managed businesses operating in these markets. "James also brings significant experience across business services, human capital and technology, media and telecoms, which are all areas where we see considerable opportunity. "These sectors continue to attract both strategic and private equity investment, particularly where businesses have strong management teams, recurring or predictable revenues and clear opportunities for further growth." Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.

S&W picks new private client tax partner. Lucy Saunders, who moves to S&W from BDO, will work across its offices in Guildford and London, UK. UK-based accountancy and advisory practice S&W has appointed Lucy Saunders as a partner in its private client tax team. In a statement, S&W said that Saunders will work across its offices in Guildford and London. She joins the company from BDO, where she was also a private client tax partner. Saunders has more than two decades of experience in advising high-net-worth individuals, families, entrepreneurs and internationally mobile clients on complex personal tax issues. Commenting on her appointment, Saunders said: "I am delighted to be joining S&W at such an exciting stage in its growth journey. "The firm has a clear vision, a strong reputation in the private client market and an ambitious strategy for the future. "Returning to the business presents a fantastic opportunity to work with talented colleagues and help clients navigate an increasingly complex tax environment. "I look forward to contributing to the continued growth and success of the private client tax services team." Her appointment comes as S&W continues to invest in its private client tax practice. The company is recruiting senior staff to meet rising client demand, the statement added. S&W partner and Private Client Tax Services head Chris Shepard said: "Lucy is an outstanding addition to its private client tax team. "Her breadth of technical expertise, strong market reputation and extensive experience advising high-net-worth and internationally connected families make her exceptionally well placed to support its clients. "As International Accounting Bulletin continue to grow and invest in its private client capabilities, Lucy's appointment further strengthens its ability to deliver the high-quality, personal advice that clients expect from S&W. "We are particularly delighted to welcome Lucy back, having previously worked in our business." Last month, S&W appointed Rosemary Prendecki and Andrew Robinson as partners within its transactions tax team. Give your business an edge with its leading industry insights.