Regional law firm Ashton KCJ has welcomed a new solicitor, Annabel Mayer, to its dispute resolution team in Bury St Edmunds.

Annabel qualified as a solicitor in 2012 and her experience includes advising individuals as well as small and medium sized businesses on bringing and defending claims in the county court. She also carries out landlord and tenant work, debt recovery and enforcement.

Annabel, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, having grown up locally, is a founding member of the Thetford and Brandon Young Professionals Group and a member of the Bury St Edmunds Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Mark Merriam, partner and dispute resolution solicitor, said: “We are delighted to welcome Annabel to the team and are pleased to be attracting so much new talent to the firm. Her appointment takes the firm’s dispute resolution team to 15. The team covers the whole of East Anglia, with bases in Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich.”

: : Chartered accountancy firm Ensors has appointed Fiona Hotston Moore as a partner based at its Ipswich office.

Fiona, who trained with KPMG in Cambridge, was previously joint head of business development with Top 30 UK accountants Reeves and developed its corporate tax and forensic services. She has built a significant reputation and substantial experience in tax, audit and outsourcing, specialising in forensic accountancy and litigation support.

In a distinguished career, Fiona was managing partner at MRI Moores Rowland, becoming one of only two women to run a top UK accountancy firm. She was recently appointed to the board of University Campus Suffolk and is also a member of the practice committee for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Fiona said: “I have been looking for the right challenging professional opportunity to allow me the personal goal of having more time with my family in Suffolk. I am delighted to be joining Ensors, which is one of the strongest, most dynamic independent practices in East Anglia and one with a reputation for the quality of its staff and partner team.”

Managing partner Danny Clifford said: “Fiona has an extremely strong track record in building practices and business development, which will be invaluable as we look forward to the next stage of our own development in this, our 125th anniversary of the founding of the firm. Her substantial experience provides us and our clients with great opportunities.”

Fiona joins Ensors’ Ipswich office on June 1, but will work across the firm’s other offices in East Anglia and the City of London. She is a well-known media commentator on financial matters and the issue of qualified women being properly represented on company boards.

: : Michael Greene has been promoted to partner at Colchester-based accountants, Whittle & Co. He joins the three other members of the partnership, founder Paul Whittle, Tim Moriarty and Rachel Skells.

Michael, who has been with Whittle & Co for almost 13 years, has been a qualified chartered accountant since 2006. He joined Whittles after completing a degree in mathematics from the University of Reading.

His broad-based experience includes audit, statutory limited company accounts preparation, group accounts and consolidations, VAT returns, payroll and PAYE, Corporation Tax and capital allowances.

Senior partner Paul Whittle said: “One of the great pleasures of being a more senior member of the firm is seeing younger members of the team such as Michael join and then grow over the years in terms of confidence and experience. His promotion is well-deserved, both as recognition of his past commitment to the firm and its clients but also a reflection of the other partners’ belief in his potential for the future.”

: : Ipswich-based Gavin Wood‘s expertise in pensions and financial planning has been recognised by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).

Gavin, 40, who joined personal finance advisers Granite Coast in February this year as financial planning director, was awarded the Committee Prize at the CII’s annual awards.

Gavin is a Chartered Financial Planner who specialises in designing bespoke retirement income strategies for individuals and local businesses. It was his extensive knowledge of investment-linked annuities and inheritance tax planning which particularly impressed the judges.

: : Woodbridge-based independent property developer Hopkins Homes has announced a series of new appointments.

The company’s head office at Melton Park has welcomed David Wytchard as head of design, and Neil Griffiths as land manager.

Gareth Smith fulfils a newly created role as customer variations manager working closely with the buyers department which has been joined by Robert Chase.

Elizabeth Pontin strengthens the customer services team while Holly Adams has joined the accounts department. Meanwhile Oscar Knebel has joined on a trainee surveyor placement.

Hopkins Homes, together with sister company Hopkins & Moore, is committed to delivering 12 new sites throughout the Eastern Region in 2014 and to help achieve this goal four new site managers have been appointed – Adrian Allen, Andrew Morris, Chris Meadows and Ian Welen and the wider construction team has been further strengthened with the appointment of Neil Churchill, Kevin Hunt and Neal China. A further two highly experienced sales advisers, Caroline Hare and Shireen Lloyd, further expands the sales team.

Meanwhile Sarah Meekings has been promoted to the position of senior accounts assistant having first worked with the company some 10 years ago on a work experience placement and this promotion recognises her abilities and accomplishments in this key role.

The company has also welcomed back Robert Eburne as a development planner in the strategic land department.

Executive chairman James Hopkins said: “I am extremely pleased with what we have been able to achieve as a team and delighted to be have been able to create so many career opportunities throughout the company. I am particularly proud that our reputation, and continued expansion as the largest independent property developer in East Anglia enables us to attract people of the highest calibre and I am confident that the skill sets of our newest members will prove to be a valuable asset as we continue to lead from the forefront and strive to build ever further upon our success.”

: : Ipswich-based Gotelee Solicitors has welcomed Chris Moffat to its medical negligence team.

“I have worked in medical negligence for 31 years and achieved justice for a large number of clients, many of whom have suffered devastating injuries as a result of medical negligence. I am delighted to be joining Gotelee and adding my experience to a very well established and respected medical negligence team. I have always worked locally and Gotelee’s focus on serving the local community sits well with me,” she said.

Tim Humpage, head of medical negligence, said: “It’s great to have Chris on board and joining the clinical injury team here at Gotelee. Chris is vastly experienced in this difficult and emotive area. She has the sound knowledge and experience to get the best for her clients and has a good reputation with her fellow professionals and she will be a huge asset to the firm.”

: : The Long Melford Swan has announced the arrival of a new head chef, 35-year-old Thomas Bushell.

He is welcomed by the Macmillan family, a trio of siblings that run the Long Melford Swan and the Hadleigh Ram.

“I am really excited to be joining the team at The Long Melford Swan,” says Tom. “I’m looking forward to working alongside the Macmillan family, sharing their passion for food and delivering fantastic service.”

Born in Suffolk, Tom began his culinary career at Milsoms in Dedham, as a kitchen porter in 1994 progressing to an apprenticeship at Le Talbooth Restaurant. Once qualified, Tom moved to Oxford where he was offered the role as senior chef de partie at Hartwell House.

Missing home, Tom returned to Le Talbooth Restaurant to become head chef and became head chef at The Pier in Harwich nine years later. His restaurants there included The Harbourside, a seafood specialist restaurant and the Ha’Penny Bistro.

Oliver Macmillan, executive head chef for Stuart Inns, the company behind the Long Melford Swan and the Hadleigh Ram, is thrilled to be working with Tom again. He said: “We worked together for three years. I’m excited about this wonderful opportunity for us to work on new food concepts which push boundaries, source and cook the finest local ingredients.”