Moving on

IN-HOUSE

Howard Trust, group general counsel and group secretary at Barclays, is to leave the bank in the first quarter of 2003.

Mr Trust, who represents the Commerce & Industry Group on the Law Society's Council, said: 'I feel in need of fresh challenges elsewhere.'

His role is to be split, with Lawrence Dickinson - currently global chief operating officer for Barclays Private Capital - taking over as group secretary next month.

Mr Trust will continue as group general counsel until a successor has been appointed.

Science and research company QinetiQ has named former City solicitor Lynton Boardman as its general counsel.

He joins from agribusiness company Syngenta, where he was head of legal for Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Solicitor Alan Porter has been promoted to company secretary at British American Tobacco, moving from his role as senior counsel at Brown & Williamson, the company's US subsidiary.

He takes over from fellow solicitor Aileen McDonald, who becomes managing counsel (corporate commercial).

Pensions solicitor Stephen Hart is the new senior legal consultant and European principal at Birmingham-based Mercer Human Resource Consulting - he moves from communications giant Marconi.

Noel Riossi has joined Cheltenham & Gloucester as a commercial lawyer; he joins from the Nationwide, where he was head of litigation.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

Two US firms lead the way in partnership news this week, with Altheimer & Gray unveiling a new head of international telecommunications and technology in the form of Daniel Preiskel, who held a similar position at Steptoe & Johnson Rakisons.

Texas firm Baker Botts has swooped on fellow US firm Pillsbury Winthrop for commercial finance partner John White.

North London firm Roiter Zucker has brought in Hina Belitz from Denton Wilde Sapte and Gordon Turner from HCL Hanne & Co as partners to head the firm's employment unit together.

In Reading, insolvency partner Paul Rippon has left Morgan Cole for Clarks.

Plymouth firm Gill Akaster has three new partners after promoting Paul Johnson (commercial), Stephen Ramsden (clinical negligence) and Mark Mears (child law), taking its partnership to 13.

Exeter firm Tozers has 18 partners after promoting family lawyer Andrew Dodd.Commercial property partner Richard Pettifor joins Birmingham firm Gateley Wareing from Wragge & Co.

Three partners of Wirral firm DP Roberts Hughes & Denye have split to set up their own firm focusing on family and crime.

The new operation - Ballam Delaney Hunt - will be based in Birkenhead and Ellesmere Port, and will be staffed by partners John Ballam and Chris Hunt (crime) and Sue Delaney (family).

Family associates Simon Hutchence and Helen Gordon have also made the move, along with consultant crime solicitor Norman King.

Hull firm Williamsons is branching out into the clinical negligence field after agreeing an amicable 'transfer deal' with fellow Hull firm Gosschalks - this will see partner Tim Slow make the move, taking assistant Kate Addy and the practice with him.

In Manchester, Davis Blank Furniss has promoted property specialist Susan Wood to partner.

Janet McBurney, who was head of property at Liverpool firm Percy Hughes & Roberts, has joined Halliwell Landau in Manchester as head of residential property.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates/Assistants

City-based Shadbolt & Co has appointed its first asso-ciates: Liz Minshull, Michael Draper and John Sheils (contentious construction), Tom Pemberton (projects/PFI) and Gavin Haynes (employment).

Stuart Simoes moves from west London-based Sayer Moore & Co to join the property group at City firm Moorhead James.

City IT firm Tarlo Lyons has promoted seven assistants to associates: Warwick Andersen, Ben Walmsley and Monique Greene (commercial technology), Bill Molloy and Emma Stockdale (dispute resolution), Katherine Wallace (commercial property), and Bridget Wood (employment and resourcing).

Maidstone firm Gulland & Gulland has recruited commercial solicitor Simon Talijamcic from Hastings-based Holden & Co.

Reading firm Field Seymour Parkes has two new assistants: Helen Starkey (company) moves from Wilson Cowie & Dillon in Liverpool, while Ajmal Hussain (commercial property) joins from Gravesend firm Church Brooks Hawkes Brasington Philips.

Fellow Reading firm Clarks has promoted litigation specialist Elizabeth McEneny and corporate and technology lawyer James Thorby to associate.

Birmingham firm The Wilkes Partnership has snapped up commercial property assistant Vanessa France from Harrison Clark in Worcester.

Irwin Mitchell has brought in Ruth Carolan from Bevan Ashford as a clinical negligence lawyer in Birmingham.

Dilys Taylor moves from Eversheds to join Nottingham firm Berryman Shacklock's property team.

Manchester is a hotbed of activity at this level too.

James Chapman & Co has two new insurance litigation assistants - Roshan Balloo from South Yorkshire Police, and Dionne Elliott from Newcastle firm Jacksons.

Rowlands has recruited commercial property assistant Sarah Ho from Wigan firm Stephensons.

Corporate lawyer Martin Turner has swapped Preston-based Inghams for Betesh Fox & Co.

Brabners Chaffe Street has recruited commercial litigator Michael Pease from Eversheds.

Employment expert Karen Bexley has been promoted to associate at Davis Blank Furniss.