Moving on

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

Winter is drawing in and partners are on the move.

Kicking off in the City, Middleton Potts has three new partners after promoting two commodities, shipping and international trade solicitors - Andrew Meads and Haris Zografakis - and recruited commercial property specialist Mark Hiley from the London office of US firm Altheimer & Grey.

Another departure from Altheimers has boosted the City office of Bristol firm Osborne Clark.

Cathy Harris, a senior associate there, joins as a partner and head of projects.

The office has also brought in property partner Kathryn Almond from SJ Berwin.

Clifford Chance has re-elected two of its six global practice area leaders - David Childs (corporate) and Jim Benedict (litigation and dispute resolution) - and elected new faces to head the other groups: Mark Campbell (finance), David Dunnigan (capital markets), Douglas French (tax, pensions and employment) and Cliff McAuley (real estate).

Hampshire-based Blake Lapthorn has appointed property head Carey Blake as senior partner, replacing David Russell, who will remain a partner in the 58-partner firm after 17 years in the role.

Mr Blake is a descendant of Alfred Starling Blake, founder of the firm in 1869.Reading firm Clarks has promoted employment lawyer Rebecca Ireland to partner.

Criminal lawyer James Hennessy has been promoted as the fourth partner at Hertfordshire firm Oldhams.

Alasdair Kirkpatrick has joined Nottingham-based Freethcartwright from Irwin Mitchell as a construction partner.

He brings the firm's number of partners up to 50.

Stockport-based family law firm Jacqueline Gregory now has three partners after making up Helen Thompson.

Commercial property partner Jonathan Peet has made the move north to join Hull-based Gosschalks from the City office of Hammond Suddards Edge.

Abroad, asset finance partner Jeremy Arscott has swapped Stephenson Harwood's Paris office for Simmons & Simmons.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates/assistants

In the City, senior real estate assistant Sally Jobson has left SJ Berwin to join the London office of US firm Dorsey & Whitney.

South-east firm Thomas Eggar has three new employment assistants: in the London office, Paul Gaff has joined from Olswang, and newly qualified Doug Styles has been kept on.

Nicola Brown has left Blake Lapthorn for the Chichester office.

However, Blake Lapthorn has been boosted by tax and trusts solicitor Colin Maltby, who is moving to Portsmouth from the Jersey office of City firm Theodore Goddard.

Leaving the City are commercial assistants Catherine Pierce (Linklaters) and Louise Ellis (Masons), who have joined Howes Percival's Milton Keynes office.

Commercial lawyer Santok Singh-Takhar has moved from Stevenage firm Heckford Norton to join Hertfordshire's Brignalls Balderston Warren.

Reading firm Clarks has recruited Alan Fieldsend as a senior environmental and corporate solicitor from insurance provider Certa, and kept on newly qualified Alistair MacKenzie-Ross (commercial property) and Gurpreet Jowhal (corporate and technology) after they completed their training with the firm.

South-west firm Thring Townsend has promoted 11 fee earners to the newly created level of associate: Graeme Chisholm (personal injury); John Davies (company and commercial); Nicola Hickson (wills and probate); Fiona Hill,Meg Moss and Georgia Smith (all family); Louisa Hughes and Patrick Mears (commercial property); Kerrie Hunt (employment); Fiona McNulty (business development); and Michael Tatters (property litigation).

Family law specialist Peter Dadswell joins Derby firm The Smith Partnership as a senior solicitor; he moves from Sheffield-based Hawkins.

Construction solicitor and non-practising barrister Maria Deus has moved from construction consultancy James R Knowles to become an assistant in at north-west firm Brabners Chaffe Street.

Yorkshire firm Rollits has retained newly qualifieds Shona Unwin (company and commercial) and Julia Hobbs (commercial).

Also in Hull, Gosschalks has promoted Justin Graves and James Houston to property associates.

OTHERS

City firm DLA has four new solicitors leading its business services group, which handles volume debt and property work.

Anthony Ruane moves from Addleshaw Booth & Co, where he was partner in charge of Enact, to become senior business development manager.

Claire Rowles (client relationship manager) and Shirley Rigby (divisional technical trainer) move from Hammonds Direct, while operations co-ordinator Karen Kirkbright joins from Walker Morris.

KLegal International has a new chief executive: Robert Glennie, who was senior partner at Scottish firm McGrigor Donald, which merged into the group earlier this year.

Jim Creechan, group legal adviser at Stratford-upon-Avon insurance company NFU Mutual, has been promoted to company secretary following Bill Cooper's retirement.