Moving on

Private PracticePartnershipsThe dip in the weather has not been reflected in partnership promotions and lateral hiring, especially abroad.Lovells' China practice has received a boost with the recruitment to its Beijing office of telecoms expert Robert Lewis, formerly general counsel, Asia.Clifford Chance has launched a tax practice in its Brussels office by bringing in Thierry Blockerye and a team of assistants from accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers.In Germany, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed corporate lawyer Hans-Jrg Ziegenhain as partner in its Munich office.

He moves from the Dsseldorf office of Baker & McKenzie.Newly made-up Allen & Overy projects partner Charles Lindsay has relocated from London to the firm's Frankfurt office.

Back home, there has been activity in the south of England.

In the Truro office of Cornwall firm Coodes, consultant Peter Dexter has been appointed a partner specialising in commercial law.Along the coast, Southampton firm Moore & Blatch has a new senior partner in David Thompson, currently head of the insurance and personal injury division.

He takes over from Robert Miles, who will concentrate on employment law work.There are three new partners at south-east practice asb law.

Insolvency specialist Gary Player and personal injury solicitor Sheridan Lynch have been promoted in the Brighton office, whilst Fiona Wilson moves up in the family department at the Maidstone office.Reigate, Surrey firm Attersolls has promoted matrimonial solicitor Sharon Cloud to partner, taking its partnerships to seven.Tax and trusts specialist Jackie Martin and insolvency lawyer Keith Mahoney have become partners at Bristol-based Meade-King.

In the City, New York firm Debevoise & Plimpton has made up three partners in its London office.

Colin Bogie becomes the firm's first English corporate partner, Peter Schuur is promoted to tax partner, and Geoffrey Burgess is promoted to a US corporate partner.There are now 52 partners at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain with the promotion of Nick McMahon (clinical negligence) and Dianne Vander Cruyssen (media & technology).US/UK firm Steptoe & Johnson & Rakisons has tempted litigator Ian Meredith from the Manchester office of Hammonds Suddards Edge.City firm Kennedys has promoted Sumiya Basha, Anthony Greenwood and Paul Spibey to partner in the insurance litigation and professional indemnity team.

It has 56 partners.There have been four promotions at East Anglian firm Mills & Reeve, which now has 62 partners: James Hunter (corporate) in Norwich, and David Mills (employment), Tom Pickthorn (corporate) and Dr Gillian Thomas (intellectual property) in Cambridge.

Meanwhile, Mark Jeffries, head of Mills & Reeve's corporate services group and of the firm's Birmingham office, has been appointed managing partner.

He succeeds Duncan Ogilvy, who has completed two three-year terms in the role and is returning to client work in the property services group.

Ted Powell becomes head of corporate services and Guy Hinchley will lead the Birmingham office.

The firm has a target of reaching 40 million in turnover by 2004/5.Irwin Mitchell has three new partners.

Office head of employment and insolvency solicitor Devinder Singh and Fergal Dowling have been made up in Birmingham, and Ian Bailey (personal injury) has become a partner in Leeds.

The firm has 80 partners.Corporate lawyer Janet Humphries has moved across Birmingham from Martineau Johnson, where she was an associate, to become a partner at The Wilkes Partnership.Leamington Spa-based Wright Hassall has added IT/IP specialist Laurie Heizler from Manchester firm Pannone & Partners.Alistair Latham has become a partner at Hull-based Stamp Jackson and Proctor at the age of 29, specialising in company and employment law.Liverpool firm JST Mackintosh has promoted insurance fraud specialist Jonathan Goodwin to equity partner and Colin Gibbons, in commercial dispute resolution, to salaried partner.

Private PracticeAssociates/assistantsBournemouth firm Fynn & Partners has recruited Philip Day, as an associate, and Sonia Sharp, as a solicitor, to its liquor licensing and gaming team.

They join from Reading firm Field Seymour Parkes and King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council, respectively.As well as a new partner (see left), Surrey firm Attersolls has promoted Nessa Joyce (residential conveyancing) and Geoffrey Stagg (litigation) to associates.

There are also additions to Allen & Overy's banking team in Germany (see left).

Dr Cornelia Summ of the Dresdner Bank legal department in Frankfurt, and Bertold Frisch - the deputy head of legal at Landesbank Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel - have both joined as senior lawyers.