MOVING ON

Private practicePartnersThere has been notable movement at City firm Simmons & Simmons this week, with Robert Lewington and Wanda Tong joining as commercial litigation and insurance partners from the Hong Kong office of Masons, where they were managing partner and partner respectively.

Continuing the lateral hires, London-based Nicholson Graham & Jones has recruited Carolanne Cunningham (banking) from Herbert Smith and Richard Hopkinson-Woolley (property) from Clifford Chance as partners.Corporate lawyer Richard Hierons has left Nabarro Nathanson to take up partnership at the London office of US firm Akin Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld.

Simon Boon, a former senior partner at now dissolved City firm Wildes, has joined the City office of DLA as partner and head of its lending practice team.Private client partner Bill Pencharz has moved to Westminster firm Bircham Dyson Bell from Radcliffes.London firm Glenisters has promoted Venisha Shah (employment) and Charlotte Pegman (personal injury) in its Hammersmith office and Outi Hubbard (wills and probate) in the Middlesex office to partners.There are two new partners at City insurance specialists Berrymans Lace Mawer following the promotions of Nigel Lock and Gavin Beardsell.City firm Theodore Goddard has strengthened its insolvency team by hiring Louise Wilkinson as a partner from Bristol firm Bevan Ashford - where she was a partner in charge of insolvency and corporate recovery - taking its partnership total to 69.Also leaving Bevan Ashford's Exeter office is corporate partner Martin Thornton, who joins Newbury firm Horsey Lightly as head of the corporate department.There are now 13 partners at Surrey-based Mackrell Turner Garrett following the promotion of commercial property lawyer Winefride Cummins.Property litigation specialist Michael Callaghan has been promoted to partner at Chelmsford firm Wollastons, taking the number of partners to 14.

Further south, trusts specialist Elizabeth Webbe has joined Salisbury firm Trethowans as a partner from the London office of Eversheds, where she was an assistant.West Midlands firm Challinors Lyon Clark now has 25 partners following a recent spate of promotions.

In the West Bromwich office Malford Harris (corporate) and Andrew Bowen (personal injury) take the step up, while Angela Houston (child care) and Nigel Sellar (clinical negligence) move up in the Birmingham office.Personal injury specialist John Leyshon has become the fourth partner at Birmingham firm Simpson & Co following his promotion.Harrogate firm Raworths has promoted commercial dispute resolution lawyer Deborah Boylan to partner.Private practiceAssociates/assistantsThe London office of Baker & McKenzie has a new associate in its tax team following the appointment of former London-based EU legal co-ordinator with HM Customs & Excise, Hassan Khan.City firm Charles Russell has expanded its property litigation team with the recruitment of assistant solicitor Cathy Braddish from Radcliffes.The Family Law Centre - a division of Somerset firm Daniel & Crutwell - has scooped up Marjorie Taylor as an assistant from Bolton-based William Furness & Son.

Staying in the west country, Wiltshire firm Quiney Jaggar has promoted family specialist Kerry Graham to associate and head of department.The rural services team at Cambridge firm Taylor Vinters has a new solicitor in the shape of Rupert Melville-Ross.

Previously with local firm Hewitson Becke and Shaw, he returns to East Anglia from a round-the-world trip.Peterborough-based Greenwoods has recruited commercial property specialist Stephen Soper and employment lawyer Joanna Mead, assistants from Eversheds and Hewitson Becke and Shaw respectively.

They are joined by Adele Whaley who has completed her legal training at the firm and becomes a solicitor in the commercial dispute resolution department.

In the midlands, Birmingham firm Sydney Mitchell has promoted Alasdair Hobbs to associate in the business services department and Jonathan Simpson in the personal injury team.Family law specialist Rachel Brennan has moved to Mansfield firm Shacklocks Mansfield as an assistant from Nottingham-based Rupert Bear Murray Davies.There have been a number of appointments in the north west, starting in Manchester, where Chaffe Street has made a double associate appointment: Ruth Jones joins the corporate team from Linder Myers - where she was an assistant - and corporate finance specialist Caroline Litchfield is promoted.Stockport firm Gorvin Smith Fort has recruited Alok Kumar - who is dual qualified in India and England - as an associate from Osborne Clarke's London office, to continue his commercial work.

Additionally, Rob Pimblett (personal injury), Amanda McAlister (family) and Nigel Crebbin (employment) have all been promoted to senior associates.