Moving on

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

International appointments catch the eye this week, with Ashurst Morris Crisp's Madrid office bringing in leading telecoms lawyer Gonzalo Jimnez-Blanco from BT, where he was general counsel of BT Ignite Espaa and regional counsel for BT Ignite in southern Europe.

Three new partners for City firm DLA's Hong Kong office.

The banking and finance team has been bolstered by King-tak Fung, who leaves his position as head of trade finance at local firm Koo & Partners, and Grant Docherty - who moves from local firm Deacons' Hong Kong office.

Claudio de Bedin joins the corporate team from the Hong Kong office of Barlow Lyde & Gilbert.

Back in Blighty, City firm Richards Butler has recruited corporate finance partner James Wilkinson from Watson Farley & Williams.

City firm DJ Freeman has appointed former chief executive Jonathan Lewis as head of its property department.

Addleshaw Booth & Co continues to beef up its London office by relocating corporate finance partners Stephen Houston and Simon Pilling from the Manchester and Leeds offices respectively.

There are two new partners in the Rugby office of Brethertons after the promotion of head of commercial property Michael Wells, and trusts and probate specialist Elizabeth Hamer.

In the north-west, Angela Hardman joins the Preston office of Ricksons as a finance partner from Blackburn-based Taylors.

She takes the firm's partnership to 19.

York firm Philip Ashworth has scooped up Ann Laverty as a commercial property partner from Robert Muckle in Newcastle.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Assistants/associates

North-west firm DWF has recruited six solicitors in Manchester: Alison Courtier (HR services), Samantha Harris (insurance) and Tim Knowles (employment) join from Simmons & Simmons, Russell Jones & Walker and in-house at the Co-operative Group respectively; in Liverpool, Helen Clark from Silverbeck Ryder, and Karen Cavanagh from Scott Rees & Co, bolster the insurance department, while Mark Burnet joins the wealthcare group from Maxwell Entwistle & Byrne.

Manchester firm Wacks Caller has tempted corporate assistant Roger Pointon from Halliwell Landau.

Nottingham-based Rothera Dowson has appointed family solicitor Ann-Marie Bowman and commercial property lawyer Tom Redgate from Nelsons and Eversheds respectively.

Leaving Rothera Dowson is Nick James, who becomes a commercial property associate at Roythorne & Co.

Another Nottingham firm, Browne Jacobson has boosted its pensions team with senior assistant Philip Jelley from City giant Linklaters, and assistant Harriet Blakey from Martineau Johnson in Birmingham.

However, Martineau Johnson has recruited pensions associate Louise Pope from Pinsent Curtis Biddle.

The Birmingham office of Merricks has grown with the recruitment of senior property solicitor John Booth, who joins from Needham & James, and three assistants: David Glover and James Davies (personal injury) move from Royal and Sun Alliance, while Shaista Anjam (employment) moves from Manby & Steward in Wolverhampton.

Jamie Kidd, Ruth Stewart and Emma Wood have all completed their training at Ipswich firm Prettys and take up the post of assistants in the commercial litigation, financial services and insurance teams respectively.

Newly-qualified Guy Hopson has joined the company/commercial team at eight-partner Cheltenham firm Willans.

In the Thames Valley, Slough firm Owen White has three new assistants.

Caryn Beidas (residential development) joins from City firm Davies Arnold Cooper, Joanne Carter moves from Slough rival Barrett & Thomson, and Niki Enbergs qualifies with the firm (both personal injury).

Plenty of newly qualified solicitors have joined Reading firm Field Seymour Parkes.

The company commercial department welcomes Alex McGeorge and Miranda Davies from London firm Etheringtons and Reading firm Boyes Turner, while legal executive Dorothy Butcher will requalify as a commercial property solicitor next month; she spent seven years at City firm Lawrence Graham.

Joe Lott and Jo Perkis (both commercial litigation), and Omeri Liyanage (probate & trusts), have been taken on after qualifying with the firm.

Commercial property solicitor Claire Tomlinson - who qualified six months ago - joins from London firm Underwood & Co.

London firm Gordon Dadds has kept on trainee Grainne Dennison as a family law assistant.

Westminster-based Piper Smith & Basham has recruited associate Nicola Prior from Nicholson Graham & Jones to head up its corporate commercial team.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Consultants

Two US firms have signed major names in London.

Dorsey & Whitney has snapped up Jan Greve, former group legal director and senior vice-president at Norwegian company Kvaerner Group, to work as counsel on the Scandinavian legal system.

Coudert Brothers has brought in Martin Byatt, who was a mining and energy partner at Clyde & Co, as counsel.

OTHER

Peter Charlton has been re-elected as regional managing partner for London and Dubai at Clifford Chance.

He will be responsible for developing the firm's competitive position, growth and profitability in the regions during his three-year tenure.

CORRECTION

In [2002] Gazette, 17 October, 10, we referred to Chris Lambert who has joined London firm Knox Ukiwa & Co as a solicitor and head of criminal litigation from Whitelock & Storr.

In fact, his name is Clive Lambert.