Moving On

PRIVATE PRACTICEPartnersWith the magic circle firms busy abroad, it is smaller practices making the news in London.Peter Bond, who was head of UK and EU competition law at Nicholson Graham & Jones, has left for the London office of US firm Bryan Cave.Berwin Leighton Paisner has tempted asset finance partner Andrew Baird, who specialises in the transport sector, from fellow City firm Watson Farley & Williams.Planning and environmental specialist Paul Manning has given up life running his own niche practice to join City firm Manches.Monica Blake, who has headed DJ Freeman's retail and leisure sector group since 1996, has moved to Mishcon de Reya.

Her 'substantial client following' includes L'Oreal.The management elections at London firm Speechly Bircham has led to head of corporate Mervyn Couve becoming senior partner.

He replaces John Avery Jones, who will be taking up a senior public appointment later this year.

Managing partner Michael Lingens was re-elected for a second three-year term.Corporate lawyer Michael Nouril has been promoted to partner at Gouldens.In Holborn, Saunders & Co has promoted three associates to partner, taking the firm's total to eight.

Gary Bromelow heads up general crime, while Shazhary Mustafa and Philip Kazantzis will jointly lead the fraud team and new business crime unit.Sarah Smith and Julia Frost have been promoted to partner at Holborn firm Hyde Mahon Bridges.

They will continue to work in the family and trust and probate teams respectively, and take the firm's partnership to seven.West End firm Seddons has recruited Mark Parkhouse as its 16th partner.

He joins the financial rescue team from working as general counsel to Dynegy Europe Communications in Vienna.North London legal aid firm Hodge Jones & Allen now has 21 partners following the promotion of crime lawyer Greg Foxsmith.Fast-growing St Albans firm Sherrards now has ten partners after four lawyers moved up: Stuart Miller (head of the Anglo-German department), Terry Fendt (commercial property), Joan Page (head of employment) and Daniel Gardener (e-commerce).One in and one out for Pinsent Curtis Biddle's corporate finance team in Birmingham.

Linda Crow has joined from Martineau Johnson, while Amanda Allen has left for Hammond Suddards Edge.In Italy, Clifford Chance has announced that two local securitisation partners are leaving for Milan corporate firm Bonelli-Erede-Pappalardo.

Alberto del Din will leave the London office while Paolo Oliviero moves across from the Milan office.US capital markets lawyer Mark Hunsaker has left US firm Sullivan & Cromwell to join Linklaters in Tokyo as the second US securities partner in the office.Allen & Overy banking and projects partner Bimal Desai is transferring from the London office to Dubai.There is also a new partner in the recently opened Paris office of SJ Berwin.

Pierre-Louis Prin is joining from Deloitte & Touche Juridique et Fiscal to head up the private equity and venture capital department.

PRIVATE PRACTICEAssistants/associatesIn contrast to partnership appointments, all movements further down the ladder have been outside London this week.Three new assistants and one associate for Leamington Spa firm Wright Hassall.

Associate Gill Worthington (commercial property) joins from DLA in Manchester, assistant Ludi Hung (commercial property) from Lee Crowder, and assistant John Ward (insolvency) from Brindley Twist Tafft and James.

James McVeigh has just qualified with the firm and joins the company commercial department.Construction lawyer Kevin Roberts has left Browne Jacobson to join the Nottingham office of Gateley Wareing as an assistant.In Stoke-on-Trent, Heatons has recruited Nicola Brooks from Knight & Sons to work as an associate heading up the personal injury department.

Liverpool-based Weightmans has recruited two solicitors to its commercial team.

Lizzie Benson and Jennifer Clark join from Laytons and Wilson Cowie & Dillon respectively.Manchester firm James Chapman & Co has a new commercial solicitor following the capture of Sam Mabon from Pannone & Partners.There are two new assistants at fellow Manchester firm Kuit Steinart Levy following the arrival of Helen Swale (tax) from London firm Charles Russell and Nicky Greene (commercial property) from Philip Conn.Newly qualified Rada Dragicevic has completed her training at Manchester firm Elliotts and will be working as an insurance litigation solicitor.Blackburn firm Roscoes has recruited personal injury assistant Naheed Akhter from Veale Wasbrough.Across the Pennines, employment lawyer Charlotte Lamb has joined Leeds firm Lupton Fawcett as an assistant after requalifying.

She originally qualified as a barrister in 1998.There are three new assistants at fellow Leeds firm Nelsons following the completion of their training at the firm: Emma Greenfield (personal injury), Richard Phillips (wills and probate) and Jonathan Cracknell (employment).On the south coast, Portsmouth-based Coffin Mew & Clover has taken on newly qualified solicitors Sonia Gordon (wills and probate) and Katrina Chesney (corporate/ commercial) after completing training contracts.