Moving on

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

The year has kicked off with a sparky recruitment market.

In the City, Field Fisher Waterhouse has coaxed Allan Poulter, currently managing director of Markforce Associates and a director of brand consultancy Interbrand, to become a partner in its brands, technology, media and telecommunications team.

A high-profile lateral hire for Simmons & Simmons, which has lured corporate and projects partner David Shasha from Clifford Chance.

City-based Sprecher Grier Halberstam now has 13 partners with the recruitment of commercial litigator David Ostroff (previously at Shupak & Co) and Brendan Murphy (previously at Hammond Suddards Edge), who will head the employment group.

Speechly Bircham has brought in property partner Alistair Henry from Maxwell Batley.

Caroline Berens has joined defendant insurance firm Kennedys' casualty team from Vizards Wyeth.

Assistant Rachel Moore has moved with her.

Business crime specialist Andrew Picken - previously head of crime at Magrath & Co - has joined Barker Gillette as a partner along with senior assistant Vinay Verma.

Holborn firm Saunders & Co has promoted associate Joe Davies, who heads the firm's compensation team - which mainly deals with civil actions against the police - to partner.

Westminster firm Bircham Dyson Bell has promoted trusts and estates specialist Judith Millar to partner.

Paul Connolly is the new senior partner at niche City insurance firm Hextalls, replacing the retiring John Bundy.

The US firms have been a hive of activity, with their annual partnership round bringing good news for those is several London offices.

Four associates are made up at White & Case, out of 16 globally: Joshua Kiernan (securities), Paul Marchand (corporate), Craig Nethercott (energy and project finance) and Andrew Weiler (corporate finance).

McDermott Will & Emery now has 25 partners in London after promoting Rebecca Harding-Hill (employment) and Duncan Curley (intellectual property).

Andrew Bloom (corporate) and Matthew Farmer (commercial property) are both made up at Steptoe & Johnson.

Bingham McCutchen has made up senior finance associate Andrew Rotenberg.

Jones Day has boosted its partnership by three: Martin Rowley and Robert Gaut (both tax), and Hazel Miller (finance).

Corporate lawyer David Pfeiffer has been made up at Bryan Cave.

Meanwhile, Bodo Schaar has left Allen & Overy's Frankfurt office to become a finance partner in the London office of US firm Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe.

Two in and one out for black country firm George Green.

Neil Williams joins from Pinsent Curtis Biddle, where he headed the franchising litigation team, to lead the firm's commercial litigation department.

Tim Lang leaves Weightman Vizards, where he was head of employment in Birmingham, to lead the employment team.

However, litigation partner Neil Cutler has moved to Morton Fisher.

Paul Cliff and Katie Silvester both leave Hammond Suddards Edge to become corporate partners at Birmingham firm Gateley Wareing with the aim of pushing the firm into the PLC market.

Charles Gillott leaves his partnership at Irwin Mitchell in Leeds to join new two-partner Lancaster firm Maxwell Gillott, specialising in education and medical law.

He is joined by Elaine Maxwell, who previously ran an eponymous niche education practice.

Harrogate also has a new firm: Sarah Taylor and Julie Fawcett - both previously at Anne Jarvis & Co - have formed specialist family practice Taylor Fawcett.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Assistants/ associates

The north-west is where it's at this week.

In Manchester, employment assistant Lindsey Bell has left Pannone & Partners for Brabners Chaffe Street; Elliotts welcomes commercial dispute resolution assistant Parminder Badhan, who joins from City firm Taylor Wessing; and corporate banking solicitor Joseph Frew joins DWF as an assistant from Edwards Geldard.

Bolton-based Keoghs has promoted two assistants to associates: Helen McGovern (personal injury) and David Walkinshaw (special claims).

Blackburn firm Taylors has scooped up education assistant Katie Jukes from Eversheds.

Robin Mason - formerly a partner at niche Derbyshire employment firm Mason & Co - has joined Liverpool-based Hill Dickinson as an assistant.

Two arrivals at Leeds firm Fox Hayes: personal injury associate Idris Mir from Morley Mitchell, and matrimonial assistant Amanda Henderson from Bywaters Topham Phillips.

Rachel Spencer has qualified into the family department of McCormicks in Leeds.

Insolvency lawyer Helen O'Hara has been promoted to associate at York firm Denison Till.

Two assistants join Sheffield firm Taylor & Emmet: conveyancer Paul Whitehouse from Irwin Mitchell and private client litigator Tony Gruchot from Bell & Buxton.

Commercial property specialist Russell Parker joins Birmingham firm Heatons from Gateley Wareing.

Property lawyer Thornton Allen arrives at DLA in Birmingham as an associate.

He was previously a managing associate at City giant Linklaters.

Nottingham-based Rothera Dowson has brought in family assistants Alison Fernandes from Andersons, and Lorna Sear from RP Robinson in Leicester.