January 2010 suffolkbusiness 15

COMPANYPROFILE

AS far as Hawksmoor InvestmentManagement is concerned, theclient is king. Formerly the

investment management arm ofsolicitors Ashton Graham, Hawksmoor’snew Ipswich office combines a soundlegal footing with the highest levels ofexperience in the financial markets tooffer a service tailored to each individualclient.

“Behind every portfolio is a client anda family with a specific need,” urgesMax, “and wenever forgetthat.”

Max joinedAshton Grahamfive-and-a-halfyears ago to headup theinvestmentmanagementpart of thebusiness which,having been setup in 1995, was already wellestablished.

In recent years, however, it becameclear that the business could stand aloneand Max looked for a way of taking itforward.

He said: “Whilst we enjoyed anexcellent relationship with the partnerswe felt rather restricted by the glassceiling; working under the auspices of alaw firm meant our investment businesswas incidental. We were hiding ourlight under a bushel and unable tomarket our services and grow.

“We had discussions with the boardand agreed that we should be a stand-alone entity, run profitably by ourexperienced staff and with the aim ofrecruiting experienced people like Alexfrom London to come here and bringtheir expertise with them.”

It was a vision shared by anotherplayer in the solicitor-investmentmanager market, John Crowley, whoestablished Hawksmoor in Exeter inFebruary 2008. On inspection John hadnot only a similar background in thelegal arena but also a vision of deliveringthe kind of service to private clients thatyou would want for your own familywhich was both professional andpersonal and based in the regions not inthe City.

Ashton Graham’s investmentmanagement wing thus becameHawksmoor’s second office. Theacquisition added £30million to thecompany’s assets, which currently totalmore than £50million, and boosted itsclient base to more than 320.

“We connected very strongly withJohn and it became clear that we sharedsimilar values. We want to offerunashamedly bespoke personalinvestment devised to fit each client andwe were fortunate that he was already ayear down the road,” said Max, “whichmeant we could start on first floor levelrather than starting in the basement.

“We put together a robust businessplan which not only made sense to usand to Ashton Graham, but that we

could take to ourclients, which iswhat we did,seeing just aboutall of them in aten week period.Despite difficultmarketconditions –some peoplethought we weremad to embarkon this level of

change – you could say we asked ourclients to renew their vows. Theirresponse was overwhelming support forour plans, which was very gratifying,and thus we have been Hawksmoorsince April 2009.”

The decision to take residence atWaterfront House, Ashton Graham’slandmark building on the fastredeveloping Ipswich Waterfront,reaffirms that Hawksmoor’s office thereexists with its former parent’s blessing,though of course it is now at liberty tointeract with any law firm or professionaladvisor.

“A lot of referrals come from solicitors,financial advisers and accountants aswell as professional introducers. We alsodo a lot of work for Trusts and withpersonal injury clients, where the moneythey have is a double edged sword, andoften they would rather not have itbecause it has meant they have beeninjured or disadvantaged in some way.In those circumstances we work with theutmost sensitivity, with their solicitor, tofind the right solution for them.”

Hawksmoor in Exeter and Ipswich hassince started recruiting by luringprofessionals from rival firms, includingfrom the City, each bringing experienceand knowledge to the party, madepossible by the use of state of the arttechnology. Recent hires have includeda new CIO in Richard Scott and DanielLockyer, both fund managers withestablished reputations.

“We have made lifestyle decisions tobe here, and the technology allows us todo that,” smiles Max.

Hawksmoor InvestmentManagement: The story so farTwenty months ago Max Weatherby and Alex Boyle set out to establisha unique investment management business in Ipswich to specialise inprivate client investment. SShheelliinnee CCllaarrkkee caught up with them at thefirm’s offices at Waterfront House to see how they are getting on

For more informationcontact HawksmoorWaterfront HouseWherry QuayIpswich IP4 1ASTel: 01473 341930www.hawksmoorim.co.uk

Alex Boyle is writing a regular column in theEast Anglia Daily Times from January

The first Hawksmoor Investment seminar forprofessional introducers will be held next year.

Max Weatherby, Alex Boyleand Alison Etheridge ofHawksmoor InvestmentManagement, Ipswich