BDO appoints KPMG alumni Richard Barnwell and Steven Law as Partners
BDO has boosted its UK operation with the addition of two Partners to its ranks. Both former KPMG employees, Richard Barnwell joins the firm’s financial services team; while Steven Law joins the firm’s forensics practice, following a stint at the Berkeley Research Group.
Richard Barnwell worked at KPMG prior to joining BDO, reaching the rank of Director at the Big Four consultancy, following a four-year stint as a Senior Manager between 2009 and 2013. He was previously at consulting industry rival firm EY for 2 years as a Manager, following 2 years at KPMG, also as Manager. Barnwell started his career at the Financial Services Authority where, over a period of five years, he rose to the role of Senior Associate. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Bristol.
Barnwell joins BDO as a Partner in its financial services team, where he will be tasked with advisory services to clients on issues pertaining to regulatory and compliance matters. His work across both public and private financial services entities has seen him develop a broad skill-base, including personnel reviews, designing and implementing regulatory compliant governance frameworks, undertaking remediation reviews and applying new regulatory legislation – which, with the approach of the GDPR in May 2018, will be of great importance to clients in the coming year particularly.
Remarking on the addition, BDO Managing Partner Paul Eagland said, “The financial services sector is evolving and adapting as a result of intense competition, economic uncertainty and increasing customer expectations. He added, “Richard’s appointment reinforces our commitment to ensuring our clients receive the best advice to manage these demands. His wealth of experience will make a valuable addition to our already strong financial services team and our growing focus on the wealth and asset management sectors.”
Steven Law, meanwhile, worked at Berkeley Research Group, where he was most recently a Partner. A fellow KPMG alumnus – where he focused on supporting clients with disputes and regulatory matters, he was also previously employed by Big Four rival Deloitte and AlixPartners.
Law joins BDO’s London forensic services team as a Partner. He is tasked with supporting the firm’s mid-market clients with issues pertaining to damages in competition and anti-trust matters, quantification of losses, contentious private business valuations and post-acquisition disputes.
Reflecting on the appointment Eagland, commented, “Legal disputes and financial investigations are now common place in the business world. Having experts with significant experience in dealing with complex cases gives our clients complete peace of mind at what can be a very challenging time.”
Regarding the team Law will join, Eagland added, “We have one of the most impressive forensic and dispute advisory practices in the UK. The team has considerable experience in advising on complex disputes and litigious matters across multiple jurisdictions. Steven’s appointment reinforces our commitment to attracting and retaining the best talent in this area.”
