Private practicePartnership

Most of the partnership action was outside the City for once over the last week, with Liverpool firm Canter Levin & Burg leading the way, making up six new partners, taking the total number of partners to 20:l Susan Appleton (conveyancing);l Michelle Berry (family law);l Ian Fitzpatrick (road traffic accidents);l Romilly Houghton (personal injury);l Martin Malone (employment law); andl Peter Mitchell (criminal law).Across the Pennines, commercial property lawyer Tim Field, currently head of Eversheds' property finance unit, is to join the Leeds office of Garretts, the law firm associated with Big Five accountants Arthur Andersen.Further north east, and personal injury specialist Richard Clarke has taken over as managing partner of Teeside firm Jacksons.

Litigation specialist David Raw is the new chairman of partners at Sinton & Co in Newcastle.

In the West Midlands, Stephen Rowe (commercial litigation) has been made a partner at Williamson & Soden's Solihull office.

Criminal law specialist Mark Parry and conveyancer Michael Higgs have been made partners at Black Country firm Higgs & Co.

Mr Higgs is a fifth-generation descendent of the eponymous firm's founder.

Suffolk firm Barker Gotelee has appointed three new partners: Gary Baker (commercial property), litigator Elizabeth Cleverly and environmental and planning law specialist Deborah Sharples.Brighton firm DMH has recruited a 13-strong team of property and planning specialists to boost its Crawley office.

The team is headed by partner Carl Burton, who is bringing clients including Beazer Strategic Land, Crest Homes and Try Homes.

Paul Burbidge is the only other solicitor in the team, otherwise made up of legal executives and support staff.Mr Burton left Crawley firm Rawlinson & Butler earlier this year with another partner to set up a niche practice called Skinner & Partners.

However, his partner, Robin Skinner, was recently killed in an accident and Mr Burton decided to disband the practice.

In the City, niche finance practice Wilde & Partners has appointed three new partners: commercial litigation lawyers Laurence Winston and Bob Scott; and Alex Dell, who specialises in commercial finance.Five solicitors have been made partners at City-based firm Davies Arnold Cooper:l Deborah Broughton (insurance);l Allison Dias (insurance);l Peter Hanson (property);l Margeret McManus (construction); andl Loretta Peddell (property).Ms Broughton is based in the firm's Manchester office.

Davies Arnold Cooper now has 46 partners.

Private Practice Associates/assistants

Manchester firm Kuit Steinart Levy has recruited two new solicitors: employment specialist Lydia Edgar, who comes from Lincolnshire firm Wilkin Chapman; and commercial property lawyer Mike Eteson, formerly with Garretts in Leeds.

Also in Manchester, Tim Kinney has joined Masons' construction department.Hertfordshire firm Pickworths has recruited Arrol Toplin to join its employment department.

He will be based in the firm's Hemel Hempsted office, and joins from Taylor Walton, also in Hemel Hempsted.

OtherIn Bristol, corporate finance lawyer Nick Cockcroft is to join TLT as a consultant to the firm's corporate finance team.

He moves from Pinsent Curtis in Birmingham.John Williams, a partner at City firm Taylor Joynson Garrett, has been appointed non-executive deputy chairman of the Chelsea Building Society, the eight largest remaining mutual society.

He has also become chairman of the staff pension fund trustees.

His other directorships include Hall & Woodhouse, Dyer Securities and TJG Trustee Company.Charles Romney, who heads CMS Cameron McKenna's property group, has become a member of the general council of the British Property Federation.Allen & Overy's German practice has recruited Professor Peter Schlechtriem as 'of counsel' to advise its international dispute resolution practice.

Prof Schlechtriem is currently director of the Institute for Foreign and International Private Law at the University of Freiburg.Ranald Munro, UK and Ireland counsel for insurance group Chubb, has been appointed its head of external affairs for Europe.

Judiciary

Elizabeth McRitchie of High Wycombe firm Blaser Mills Winter Taylor has been made a district judge on the South Eastern circuit.

Aberystwyth sole practitioner William Godwin has been appointed a district judge on the Western circuit.

Barry Stapely of Darlington firm Freeman Johnson and Paul Mort of Sheffield firm Tofield Swann & Smythe have become district judges on the North Eastern circuit.

Martin Parry of Worcester firm March & Edwards is a new district judge on the Midland & Oxford Circuit.