Leading South West law firm Stephens Scown has underlined its support for the rural economy in the region with the appointment of a new consultant with extensive financial and relationship management experience in the agriculture industry.

David Perriment - approved

David Perriment joins Stephens Scown after 42 years at NatWest bank. He spent more than 25 years of that period involved in agricultural banking with his last 15 years as Senior Agricultural Relationship Manager where he managed a portfolio of more than 100 large farming clients across dairy, beef, sheep, arable and diversified enterprises.

Prior to that he headed up the bank’s agricultural credit assessment department for the South West. He is an accredited banker for agriculture, a member of the Institute of Financial Services (IFS) and a Council member of Devon County Agricultural Association.

Commenting on his appointment, David Perriment said: “I am really looking forward to working with Stephens Scown’s rural services team, helping them provide valuable services to the agricultural community. My years in banking and finance provide a good fit with the firm’s services. I am particularly interested in helping farmers plan for their future including succession planning, and in helping family farming businesses bring new young farmers into the business from a financial and tax point of view.”

Robert Camp, Stephens Scown’s managing partner, said: “The rural and agricultural community really is the backbone of the South West economy. We have long worked closely with farming businesses large and small, and it’s an important part of our business. I’m delighted that David is joining us. His combination of extensive agricultural experience and in-depth financial knowledge should prove really valuable to our clients.”

David’s appointment comes in the wake of the launch of a campaign by Stephens Scown to support South West dairy farmers. The campaign encourages consumers to buy local dairy produce where possible – to help combat the effects of record low milk prices. Further information is available at www.supportswdairyfarmers.co.uk