Birmingham-based accountants and business advisers Friend LLP has appointed Midlands property expert Stephen Goldstein as Chairman of its Corporate Finance division.

A well-known and successful property entrepreneur, Stephen Goldstein also founded surveying practices Alexander Stevens and Stephens McBride and is a former chairman of the Jewellery Quarter Urban Renewal. Stephen has had joint ventures in the leisure sector with the former Ansells brewery, is currently Chairman of a French leisure group in the hotel and golf course sector and brings extensive experience in European property and business matters.

With 30 years’ experience of advising private equity investors on property strategy and property finance, and acquisitive, ambitious businesses in general, Stephen will provide an additional layer of expertise to Friend LLP’s property and finance advisory work, as corporate finance partner Denise Friend explains:

“Stephen’s skills, experience and approach are a superb fit with our strategy of strengthening the Friend LLP advisory team and sustaining ongoing growth in both domestic and international markets. He brings immeasurable experience of property finance work combined with a “hands-on” approach that sits very nicely with the partner-led style at Friend LLP. We are confident that Stephen will add substantial value to our clients and their businesses.”

Stephen adds:

“I’ve known Friend LLP for a long time and I like their across-the-board expertise and intelligent, partner-led approach. We share a similar commitment to providing top-level advice, delivered personally, with a good dose of commonsense. Very few corporate finance teams can offer the combination of tax advice, financial due diligence and strategic property finance solutions that we can now deliver through Friend LLP.”

Stephen Goldstein is also associated with a number of charities, with his most recent efforts being directed at The Mad Hatters’ Tea Party Charity, which includes an annual event at the Botanical Gardens for 800 disadvantaged children and young people. Additionally, Stephen is a former chairman of Midlands Regional Variety Club and is a longstanding and active supporter of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Friend LLP is a leading regional firm of accountants and business advisers, with offices in Brindleyplace, Birmingham, and in Portman Square in London. The firm provides the full range of business advisory, audit and business assurance, tax, corporate finance, corporate recovery and technology consulting services to private companies and financial institutions in the UK and overseas. The practice has developed an expertise in assisting overseas companies with principal locations in North America, Western Europe, Australia, India, China and other emerging markets, that are looking to establish businesses in the UK.

For more information, please contact Denise Friend on 0121 633 2000 or denise.friend@friendllp.com