COMPANY & PEOPLE

A Little Bit of History

HWS was founded by Howard Watson in 1971 after four years as a partner in a London practice, and originally had a Leighton Buzzard office base. With the potential of Milton Keynes as a key development area he moved to Bletchley in 1975 and whilst the business has maintained many of its early London clients and connections, Milton Keynes has provided the springboard for much of the growth in both client base and the services offered.

The practice has steadily grown to its current size and it has a very stable workforce that delivers the consistency that many larger firms struggle to achieve due to high levels of staff turnover. This is a key factor in client satisfaction and testimony to the partners' approach to their business.

Over the years the practice has been involved in every aspect of accountancy and related services, from sole-trader tax returns to London Stock Exchange flotations, which demonstrates the breadth of experience and understanding that so many clients value.

The partners are experts in their fields and continually update their knowledge and skills; keeping up to date with not only the law but also accepted ‘best practice’. You can therefore be confident that within HWS are all the skills needed to act in your best interests at all times.

Partners

Alan Freeman FCA CTA

Alan originally qualified as a Chartered Accountant with a Luton practice before joining what is now Ernst & Young. He joined HWS in 1979 and became a partner in 1981. Alan works with many small and medium size companies and has developed a particular expertise in charities, travel companies and advertising agencies.

Martin Maguire FCA CTA

Martin trained as a Chartered Accountant at Neville Russell before moving to HWS in 1978 and attaining partner status in 1982.As well as a variety of small and medium sized businesses he deals with many of the larger clients of the practice. He has been instrumental in many acquisitions and disposals over the years and has developed significant expertise in this area. Other specialisms include working with a substantial number of property companies and pension audits.