Change at the top for Coventry's Coltman Warner Cranston

One of the Midlands’ leading debt recovery firms is preparing for a charging of the guard as a well-known regional figure is set to retire later this year.

Darren Davoile will head up Coventry-based Coltman Warner Cranston from next year when Larry Coltman calls time on a 42-year career. 

The pair have worked together since 1990 when they were part of the Warner Cranston team which eventually merged with Reed Smith. The company demerged from Reed Smith in 2006 and became Coltman Warner Cranston, which is based at Coventry Innovation Village.

Darren was made a partner in 2019 and will lead the firm through its next phase of growth when Larry, a former president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, retires from the business.

The company, which specialises in business-to-business debt recovery and is a fixture in Legal 500 top tier, currently employs 13 staff, including ten fee-earners, and has plans to recruit to help meet demand.

Darren said: “Larry and I have worked together over many years now and I have the utmost respect for everything he has done both here at Coltman Warner Cranston and elsewhere in his career. He’s served the business community in this region in so many ways.

“I am also proud and delighted to be taking over the reins of such a well-respected company that supports a whole host of firms in a fundamental area of doing business – getting paid for the goods and services provided.

“We are incredibly busy at the moment and we are seeing businesses engage with us much earlier. That’s helpful, because there are different tools we can use when it comes to debt recovery and it means we can talk through the options before deciding the best course of action.

“We have a strong track record of securing successful outcomes for clients and that money is vital to their cashflow. We are one of the most consistent firms in the country for issuing winding-up petitions and our results on that front really do speak for themselves.

“Such is the demand, it means we need to build the team and we are in the advanced stages of bringing in a senior practitioner as well as looking to continue to bring through the next generation in this field.” 

Larry said: “I’ve known Darren for more than 30 years and this is a great opportunity for him to lead the business as it continues to grow.

“He has been a senior figure within the business for many years now as we’ve continued to expand and I am very confident that he will develop the company even further.”