Moving on

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

Two major hires in Hong Kong for big City firms lead the way this week.

Linklaters has boosted its US securities practice in the former colony by hiring Winston Li from top US firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.

Norton Rose, which only reopened in Hong Kong in April after an enforced absence, has recruited Freeman Chan, former head of corporate finance at leading local practice Koo & Partners and also a partner with US firm Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker, with which Koo recently formed an association.

Norton Rose now has seven partners in Hong Kong.

Back in the City, Field Fisher Waterhouse has lured financial services law and regulation specialist Edward Black from Denton Wilde Sapte.

Druces & Attlee now has 16 partners after bringing in commercial property partner Nicholas Brent from Manches.

Central London firm Gordon Dadds has added partner Simon Edwards and associate Jackie Boot to its property team from niche practice Julian Holy.

Guildford firm Andrea & Co has promoted Demetrius Danas, who specialises in travel-related personal injury work, to partner.

Corporate partner Philip Tranter has swapped Blandy & Blandy for fellow Reading firm Boyes Turner.

There is a new firm in Prestwich, north Manchester: Shanklys has been set up by personal injury lawyers Mohammad Abid Ghani, who has left Jiva & Co in Bolton, and Jamil Ahmed, previously at Levi & Co in Bradford.

Leeds-based McCormicks has a new head of commercial dispute resolution after Simon Young - previously a senior solicitor at Hammond Suddards Edge - was brought in as a partner.

Commercial litigator Mark Heath has been made up at Newcastle firm Watson Burton.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates/assistants

As well as a new partner, City firm Druces & Attlee has recruited commercial property assistant Robin Church from Turner Debenhams in St Albans.

There are five newly qualified solicitors in the London office of US giant Weil Gotshal & Manges: Sharim Afnan, Maddy Dyer and Craig Lilleyman (all corporate), Richard Curtis (litigation) and Helen Parkinson (finance).

Working alongside Mr Danas in travel-related personal injury work at Andrea & Co in Guildford is Louise Lydon, who has joined as a senior solicitor and team leader from Bradford-based Gordons Cranswick.

Gerrard's Cross, Buckinghamshire firm BP Collins has brought in corporate associate Simon Deans from Marlow firm Moorcrofts.

In Newbury, Charles Lucas & Marshall has added Ceri Davies to its wills and estate planning team from Horsey Lightly.

Making the same move as partner Philip Tranter from Blandy & Blandy to Boyes Turner in Reading is technology and commerce associate Kathy Minter.

In Slough, Harris Cartwright has promoted commercial lawyer Darren Higginson to assistant.

Peterborough firm Greenwoods has taken on Simon Fletcher in is construction and engineering team after he qualified with the firm.

Family lawyer Teresa Mannion has been promoted to associate in the Nuneaton office of Alsters.

Leaving the Leamington Spa office of Alsters is family lawyer Shanti Giles, who has gone to Worcester firm Harrison Clark.

Cheltenham firm Rickerbys has recruited former law lecturer Rachael Fletcher from William Jones & Talog Davies in Ruthin, north Wales, for its private client team.

Gateley Wareing in Birmingham has a new banking and recovery associate: Daryl Shorthose from Hammond Suddards Edge.

In Manchester, Whittles has snapped up Sean Cook from Lyons Wilson for its disease team, while personal injury lawyer Nick Stratford has joined Linder Myers from Ison Harrison & Co in Leeds.

In addition to its new partner, Watson Burton in Newcastle has promoted to associate Louise Kelly (commercial property) and Andrea Gardner (construction).

IN-HOUSE

Company formation and support group Jordans has named Janis Law as group chief solicitor.

She was previously a corporate finance associate at Osborne Clarke in Bristol, where she also spent four years as the firm's training and know-how director.

Intertanko's legal counsel, John Fawcett-Ellis, who is currently based at the association's London office, has been appointed regional manager for Asia and is relocating to Singapore.