In brief: Pinsents hires Price Waterhouse partner

Pinsent Curtis is hiring a senior Big Six accountant as its financial director. One of Stephen Hancock's roles at the national firm will be to prepare the way for further mergers, although Pinsents is reluctant to expand on what its plans are in this area. Hancock, who starts in May, is a partner at Price Waterhouse's St Albans office. He joined the practice in 1975 and became a partner at the Birmingham office 12 years later.