BDO hires two partners in south of England

Lucy Saunders and Phil Duma have joined BDO as partners in the south of England. Saunders arrives as a private client partner for the south east region, while Duma becomes a transactions services partner in the south west.

Lucy Saunders joins the private client tax team with 20 years of experience. Formerly a partner with Blick Rothenburg, this includes particular expertise in advising international high net worth individuals (HNWIs) on complex tax matters including matrimonial, succession, inheritance, trust and company areas.

Michael Flaherty, head of south east private client services at BDO, said, “Lucy is a hugely valuable addition to both the South East and national Private Client Tax teams. Her wealth of experience and excellent standing in the market will further enhance the good work we do as we continue to expand our business.

Looking ahead, she will help to strengthen the firm’s private client tax team both regionally and nationally. In particular, she will work with HNWIs, families and their structures – both in the UK and internationally.

Saunders added, “I look forward to building relationships both internally within the firm and externally with clients and contacts both locally and internationally. It’s an extremely exciting time to be joining BDO, as it continues to build on another successful financial year, which saw record investment in core areas such as people, technology, innovation and future high-growth services.”

Phil Duma meanwhile brings over 20 years of experience advising entrepreneurial owner-managed businesses and private equity investors to BDO. Joining from PwC, he has a particular specialism in the financial services sector.

Derek Neil, head of transaction services at BDO, said, “Phil’s appointment is reflective of our ongoing strategic investment in talent in the South West. It has been another very active year for BDO in the region and a key aspect of our strategy is to build high quality local capacity to match the pace of business growth and opportunity we see in important regional markets. 

Based in Bristol, Duma will become a partner in BDO’s transaction services practice across the south west region. He will advise entrepreneurial owner-managed businesses and private equity investors across the region, with a particular focus on the financial services sector.

Duma noted, “The south west is a fantastic region, with entrepreneurial business owners at the heart of the local economy and deals market. BDO has an exceptional reputation for delivering a high-quality, partner-led service and I’m delighted to be joining such a strong and dynamic team, strengthening our position as a leader in the market.”