Moving on

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

Amid the annual promotion activity, US/UK firm Dechert has scored the most impressive recruitments by bringing in senior Linklaters partner James Croock to the new post of co-head of international mergers and acquisitions.

The other joint head is Dan O'Donnell, based in the firm's Philadelphia office.

Dechert has also lured Kathryn Gilbertson from Berwin Leighton Paisner to head a new specialist safety and food directorate.

It has been a busy week for Davenport Lyons; Janet Ayres joins from DLA to head the contentious property group, while property litigation head Jonathan Aubrey has left for Taylor Joynson Garrett.

Intellectual property partner Stephen Digby has returned to Australia to join Sydney firm Abbott Tout as a senior consultant.

On the partnership round, Macfarlanes has appointed Stephen Drewitt (corporate), Orla MacSherry (banking) and Geoff Steward (litigation).

There has been a 50% increase in the partnership at City fraud litigation firm Peters & Peters with four promotions: Helen McDowell, Lisa McMillan, Elizabeth Robertson and Jonathan Tickner.

Kingsley Napley has also promoted four of its lawyers to partner, making a total of 36: Linzi McDonald and Angus McBride (criminal), Garth Coates (immigration), and Alison Moore (clinical negligence and personal injury).

Farrer & Co has 55 partners from this week after promoting Grania Baird (banking and financial services), Diana Davidson (private client), Henry Goulding (estates and private property) and Rachel Lewis (employment).

Surrey firm Robbins Olivey has drafted in Graham Wilson as a commercial property partner from Clyde & Co.

There has been a hat-trick of promotions at Penningtons' Newbury office: head of employment Simon Fenton, head of residential conveyancing Richard Hornsby, and corporate lawyer David Wilson.

Meanwhile, Franco Bosi, managing partner of the Basingstoke office, has also taken over as head of Penningtons' corporate and commercial department from Ron Allsopp, who remains a partner.

Reading firm Boyes Turner has promoted technology and commerce lawyer Mark Blunden, also a qualified South African advocate, to partner.

Wiltshire's Farnfield & Nicholls has ten partners after promoting Alexandra Webb (private client) and Caroline Marsh (family).

A double departure from Pinsent Curtis Biddle: in Birmingham, leading corporate finance partner Amanda Allen has joined Hammond Suddards Edge, while in Leeds, Kevin Hostford has moved to Shulmans' residential development unit.

Birmingham firm Heatons has snapped up litigation partner Tom Esler from Cheltenham's Rickerby Watterson.

Freethcartwright in Nottingham has hit the 50-partner mark by making up Kathy Pickup (product liability), Julie Hardy (clinical negligence) and Michael Alden (private client).The former president of Manchester Law Society, Araba Obodai, has left Betesh Fox & Co, where she specialised in commercial litigation, to join Wacks Caller.

Brabners Chaffe Street has moved commercial litigation partner Paul Morton from its Liverpool office to lead its Manchester-based litigation team.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates / assistants

Not for the first time, the City office of Addleshaw Booth & Co has raided Tarlo Lyons to add to its technology and e-business team: assistants Nicola Marsden and Vinod Bange make the move this time.

As well as its new partners, Farrer & Co has also promoted commercial lawyer Crispin Pettifer to associate.

East Anglia firm Cunningham John has recruited senior commercial solicitor Paul Dixon from Eversheds in Cambridge.

Assistant David Roper switches from south London firm Merrony Wall to join the Hayling Island office of Hampshire firm Daltons, where he will deal with conveyancing, probate, powers of attorney and affairs of the elderly.

He replaces Ann Payne, who has retired.

Exeter firm Foot Anstey Sargent has recruited childcare solicitor Rachel Surr from Devon County Council.

In Birmingham, private client solicitor Adrian Mabe - who moves from Lee Crowder - and corporate solicitor Clare Bates from Eversheds have joined Gateley Wareing.

Criminal law assistant Ruby Toor moves from Maidments in Birmingham to join black country firm Higgs & Sons.

Staffordshire firm Knight & Sons has promoted three solicitors to associate - Cameron Hogg and Mark Whitehouse (commercial litigation) and Rachel Lander (private client).

Corporate solicitor Estelle Clarke has swapped her position at City giant Clifford Chance for one with Leicester-based Spearing Waite.

In Manchester, Nexus has strengthened its dispute resolution group with solicitor Richard Kerr, who flies in from Australian firm Heidtman & Co.

As well as new partners, Manchester firm Wacks Caller has brought in IT and intellectual property solicitor Mark Shipley from Milton Keynes-based Kimbell & Co, while Leeds-based Shulmans has taken on commercial property solicitor Cordelia King, who was with Kelly & Co.

Associate Paul Kirkby has left Birmingham firm Wragge & Co to join the Richards Butler corporate team in Abu Dhabi.