Moving On

PRIVATE PRACTICE PartnersThere was a spate of new partnerships concentrated in the north-west this week.National firm Laytons has recently recruited two partners to its Manchester office, with Paul Spencer joining from Hill Dickinson to head the employment group, and Neil Powell moving across Manchester from Wacks Caller to head the commercial property team.Wacks Caller has also made Dov Black a partner in its corporate team.Mace & Jones has promoted three partners, taking the firm total to 30.

In the Manchester office, commercial lawyer Richard Corran has taken the step up, while in the Liverpool office, professional negligence specialist Duncan McAllister and private client lawyer Jackie Lewis are elevated.Staying in Liverpool, the Paul Rooney Partnership has promoted personal injury lawyer Steve Ireland to partner.Property specialist David Johnson has joined Bolton firm Kippax Beaumont Lewis from Keoghs.

He takes the firm's partnership to seven.Across the Pennines, Leeds firm Nelson & Co has scooped up Richard Nolan as head of commercial litigation from Hammonds Suddards Edge, and promoted private client lawyer David Rhodes to partner.Leaving Leeds is Paul Jonson, who departs Pinsent Curtis Biddle to become partner and head of commercial dispute resolution at Newcastle firm Robert Muckle.There is a new partner in the London office of Cheshire firm Alexander Harris.

Personal injury specialist Michael Turner joins from Bachelors as the firm's ninth partner.Elsewhere in London, there is a new firm - Palmer Wade - which will specialise in employment/ discrimination work.

Camilla Palmer and Joanna Wade leave Bindman & Partners and the Maternity Alliance respectively.

Nick Jacob joins the private client department of Lawrence Graham as a partner from Rooks Rider.Landwell has its third new partner in two months, with the capture of IT lawyer Robert Carolina from Tarlo Lyons.Andrea Nicholls has left Speechly Bircham to head and develop Howard Kennedy's corporate employment team.The London office of US firm Morrison & Foerster has brought in corporate finance lawyer Brian Bates from Chicago firm Bell Boyd & Lloyd.The Reigate office of south-east firm Thomas Eggar Church Adams has added residential property partner Celia Perry from Surrey firm Downs.

In Oxford, Darbys has recruited Robert Bryan from Aylesbury firm Parrott & Coales, where he was head of commercial, to be a partner in its business services department.Restructuring at Lichfield firm Keely Beedham has seen corporate and employment specialist Daniel Keane appointed managing partner, and commercial property lawyer John Parkes appointed senior partner.

The firm will in future focus on three main departments: corporate services, commercial property and private client.Meanwhile, overseas, the Hong Kong office of Richard Butler has promoted six assistants to partner - taking the office partnership to 26, and 114 worldwide: Kar Chung Mok, Janet Cheung, Warren Ko and Ivy Lai (all corporate finance), Urania Chan (property), and Andrew Horton (shipping).

PRIVATE PRACTICEAssociates/assistantsIn addition to a new partner, Manchester firm Wacks Caller has promoted Joe Johnston and Dan Grindey to associates in the commercial property and commercial litigation groups respectively.

Also, the firm has recruited Michala Meiselles (commercial litigation) from Berrymans Lace Mawer and Angela Cashin (corporate) from Ricksons as assistants.After completing training contracts at fellow Manchester firm Donns, Mark Havenhand has joined the clinical negligence department, and Paul McClorry the personal injury group.Leaving Manchester is personal injury lawyer Sharon Denby, who has quit Graham Leigh Pfeffer to become an associate at Newcastle-under-Lyme firm McHugh.In the other Newcastle - on the Tyne - Dickinson Dees has recruited Paul Stewart to its commercial disputes team from London firm Olswang.Birmingham-based Sydney Mitchell has promoted Majella O'Neill (family) and Lorraine Smallwood (commercial property) to associate.In nearby Kidderminster, Thursfields has taken on three new solicitors: family lawyer Fiona Wilding from Davisons, Paul Griffin leaves Wood Glaister for the civil department, and newly qualified Sarah Mason joins the commercial litigation department.There is further recruitment at London firm Lawrence Graham with private client assistant Arabella Saker joining from Allen & Overy.Reading firm Pitmans has brought in pensions lawyer David Hosford as a senior associate from Bristol firm Burges Salmon.