Lucy Fairclough and Muhammad Usman join Bishop Fleming's partnership in Birmingham

National audit, accountancy, tax, and advisory firm Bishop Fleming has appointed the first two partners to its new Birmingham office: Lucy Fairclough and Muhammad Usman.

Launched earlier this year, Birmingham became the ninth office of Bishop Fleming, which has a presence from the West Midlands to the South West. The firm has around 45 partners and over 500 staff.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Lucy and Usman to Bishop Fleming as the first leadership hires in our Birmingham office. They will build our presence in the city as we eye an ambitious goal of replicating an office the size of our Bristol base, and a home to an eventual team of over 200 people,” said Mark Taylor, Birmingham Office Lead at Bishop Fleming.

Lucy Fairclough, who joins the Audit service line, brings a wealth of experience in financial reporting, corporate restructuring and risk & compliance to the firm, including nine years at PwC and a further nine years at KPMG. Most recently, she served accounting and advisory firm Azets.

“I'm delighted to be joining Bishop Fleming at such an exciting time for the firm. I’ve long been impressed by the strength of its reputation and brand, and I’m particularly drawn to the opportunities offered as a founding member of the Birmingham office. The firm’s thoughtful, strategic approach to growth really stood out to me, and the infrastructure behind the business is impressive,” said Fairclough on her move.

Muhammad Usman similarly joins as a partner in the Audit business. He crosses from KPMG, where he spent over 18 years working with owner-managed businesses, SMEs, startups, and private equity-backed businesses in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, construction, retail, professional services, media, telecoms and IT services.

“The growth of Bishop Fleming’s Birmingham office presents a huge opportunity, and I’m thrilled to be joining the firm to help establish and grow our presence in such a dynamic market,” said Usaman. “In exploring the firm, I was struck by its recent accolades, strong market reputation, and clear momentum. It’s a business with ambition and purpose, and I’m excited to be part of its next chapter.”

With a turnover of £43 million in 2024, Bishop Fleming is one of the UK’s 40 largest accounting-origin professional services firms. The company is a member of Kreston, a global network of independent firms in more than 100 countries.