Moving on

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

There has been a slowdown in partner activity this week, but kicking off in London, Paul Howcroft, previously head of banking litigation at City firm Nicholson Graham & Jones, has joined Marriott Harrison.

Speechly Bircham has brought in employment partner Noel Deans.

He arrives from Landwell, the associated law firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Promotions continue in the London offices of various US firms.

Nadeem Khan, head of real estate at Dorsey & Whitney, has been made up, as has corporate finance lawyer David Pfeiffer at Bryan Cave, and Christopher Prout (employee share schemes and pensions) and Struan Penwarden (corporate finance) at Brobeck Hale & Dorr.

Paula Howard (banking and finance) has taken the step up in the London office of Paris-based international firm Salans.

Corporate lawyer Fiona Fleming has been made up in the London office of Guernsey firm Carey Langlois.

In Reading, Pitmans has promoted pensions lawyer David Hosford to partner.

Nearby in Oxford, private client partner Nigel Roots has joined Henmans from London firm Boodle Hatfield.

Cecily Cameron, who was only promoted to associate and head of clinical negligence at Henmans in November last year, has already been made up to partner.

The Oxford office of Manches has promoted intellectual property lawyer Elizabeth West to partner.

In Cheltenham, family partner Neil Hobden has swapped Midwinters for Willans.

Worcester firm Harrison Clark has a new head of employment: Richard Green joins from black country firm George Green & Co.

Birmingham firm Martineau Johnson has brought in partner Nick Mallett from City firm Hobson Audley - recently merged with US firm Faegre & Benson - to lead its work for the direct sales and marketing industry.

Yorkshire firm Rollits has hired Caroline Hedges as a private client partner from Addleshaw Booth & Co.

Personal injury lawyer David Heath has joined Carlisle firm Burnetts as a partner from Simpson Millar.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Consultants

William Booth has rejoined London media firm Harbottle & Lewis as a consultant after 14 years working in the music business.

Most recently, he was senior vice-president of Sony/ATV Music Publishing Europe.

John Langan, who was head of the London funds practice at KPMG's firm KLegal, has joined the London office of US firm Bryan Cave as 'of counsel' with the remit to develop the investment funds practice.

North London firm Osbornes has brought in children lawyer Naomi Angell as a consultant.

She joins from Goodman Ray.

Sole practitioner John Todman, who specialises in planning and environmental law, has joined Cheltenham firm Willans as a consultant.

Ellis Santhouse has moved to Manchester firm Kuit Steinart Levy as a consultant to the commercial property department from Widdows Mason in Bolton.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates/assistants

London firm Farrer & Co has recruited commercial lawyer Richard Lane from Reuters, where he was an associate and senior legal counsel.

Southampton firm Eric Robinson has brought in employment specialist Charlotte Poole from Bishop Longbotham & Bagnall.

Two solicitors for Reading firm Boyes Turner: family lawyer Richard Crallan from niche London firm Sears Tooth, and probate lawyer Ruth Meyer, who has returned from the US, where she accompanied her husband on a six-year posting.

She used the time to dual-qualify as a New York attorney.

A double also for Marlborough firm Wood Awdry & Ford.

Residential property associate Martin Short moves from Silvester & Mackett in Trowbridge, while criminal lawyer Ioan Gealy joins from Allen & Partners in Bristol.

Robin Humphreys, formerly a partner at Weightmans in Birmingham, has joined Thursfields of Worcester as a commercial litigation associate.

IN-HOUSE

Philip Lloyd-Williams, currently head of law and administration with Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, is to take over as solicitor to the council at Tamworth Borough Council from March.

John Taylor, formerly an equity partner at leading healthcare firm Hempsons, has joined the Medical Protection Society as a senior solicitor in its Leeds office.

NOT-FOR-PROFIT

Sara Chandler, a former chairwoman of the Young Solicitors Group, is leaving Plumstead Community Law Centre, in south-east London, where she was a housing solicitor, to become senior supervising solicitor at the College of Law's legal advice clinic at its Store Street branch in London.

Hannah Lily, who recently qualified at City giant Linklaters, is joining the Refugee Legal Centre as an appeals caseworker.

She became interested in the field after spending time on secondment to human rights group Liberty.

OTHER

Hilary Plattern, formerly head of legal and public affairs at the Finance and Leasing Association, has joined Clifford Chance as director of its public policy practice.

She replaces Richard Thomas, who left late last year to become the Information Commissioner.

Jonathan Croucher, who was an employment partner at City firm Taylor Wessing, has taken up the non-legal post of director of human resources at the firm.

Construction lawyer Dawn Kitt has joined Reading firm Clarks as an employed barrister.

Solicitor Suzanne Burn, a deputy district judge and one-time Law Society policy official, has been appointed chairwoman of the Clinical Disputes Forum.