Prime Accountants appoints new private client lead

Prime Accountants Group has appointed Andrew Cockman as head of private client, further expanding its tax team as demand grows for specialist advice on inheritance and wealth planning.

Cockman joins the West Midlands-based accountancy practice from global professional services firms including Deloitte, PwC and Grant Thornton. 

He brings several decades of experience advising high-net-worth individuals, international families and trustees on complex private client tax matters, with a particular focus on inheritance tax and capital gains tax planning.

Cockman is also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, a trust and estate practitioner and a member of the Association of Tax Technicians. He also writes regularly for the professional press.

The appointment marks the fourth director-level hire made by Prime Accountants Group in the past 18 months. The firm operates from offices in Solihull, Birmingham and Coventry.

Cockman will work alongside tax directors Paislei Godley and Stuart Gooderham, and new tax manager Jagdeep Sahota, who has also recently joined the firm from a national accountancy practice.

He has a particular interest in advising UK family-owned businesses, including farming and landed estates, and supporting clients with succession planning, asset transfers and long-term wealth preservation. 

He said: “It’s really exciting to work with a growing business like Prime so the team can benefit from the experience I’ve garnered over the years. It is a very impressive business, with a uniform, consistent approach.”

Morgan Davies, managing director at Prime Accountants Group, added: “This is a flagship appointment for us of an extremely experienced inheritance tax and business property relief specialist. With government rules changing before Christmas, a significant number of businesses will need support.”