South: Quantuma launches forensic accounting as staff numbers increase to 140

Two experienced forensic accounting and expert witness partners have joined business advisory and corporate recovery firm Quantuma. Gavin Pearson and Gordon Hodgen have joined Quantuma’s fast-expanding London office with a team of five as the firm adds a new service line to its offering.

Quantuma managing partner Carl Jackson said: “Forensic accounting requires a specific skillset and the arrival of Gavin and Gordon and their five colleagues gives us a major boost in this area. Their skills will complement the investigations work of partner Mike Wright.

“Gavin and Gordon are both very experienced expert witnesses who have acted in major cases and were previously partners in both a top 10 practice and a US consultancy firm.

“Their decision to join us provides further evidence of the growing attraction of Quantuma as a firm that recognises and rewards talent.”

Pearson is the current chair of the ICAEW Forensic Accounting and Expert Witness Group, the UK’s primary body for forensic accountants.

He said: “The rapid rise of Quantuma in the past five years has been notable and Gordon and I are delighted to be joining a firm which shares our ethos for providing high quality, commercial, partner-led services."

The arrival of two new partners follows the recent appointment of Ian Barton as a partner in the corporate finance team, with Mark Lucas, Mark Sands, Mike Wright, Maxine Reid and Andrew Andronikou joining Quantuma as partners in the past 12 months and legal sector specialist Sean Bucknall also promoted to partner within the firm.

Quantuma’s continuing growth was confirmed when, in its fifth financial year to March 31, 2018, turnover rose to £10.4 million, an increase of 10% on 2017.

Staff numbers have now increased from 96 to 140 and offices from seven to 10 offices in the past 18 months, with London making its third move in four years due to demand for increased space as staff numbers grew from 13 to 28.