Moving on

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

City firm Trowers & Hamlins leads the way this week with three new partners: projects and construction specialist Philip Wright has joined as a partner from Simmons & Simmons, where he was a senior lawyer, while Andrew Wiseman (environment) and William Downing (employment) have been promoted.

US firm Sidley Austin Brown & Wood's London office has pulled in a nine-strong property finance team from Denton Wilde Sapte: partners Mark Menhennet and Debbie Carslaw along with associates Jane Allan, Charlotte Beeston, Pamela Clarke, James Bucke, Eleanor Hunwicks, Elizabeth Sweeney and Simon Tweedle.

Michael Wood, who has been at Westminster firm Bircham Dyson Bell for 30 years, has been appointed managing partner.

Leaving the City is corporate and commercial partner Michael Randall, who has joined Eastleigh firm White & Bowker from Davies Arnold Cooper.

The Birmingham office of Irwin Mitchell has brought in Glen Edney from Shoosmiths as a partner in its uninsured loss recovery division.

Nottingham firm Fraser Brown has made up Robin Wright (corporate) and Peter Womersley (property), who manages the firm's Bingham office.

Commercial property partner David Cowgill has left Mace & Jones for Cheshire firm Rigby & Co.

Meanwhile, Rigby's two senior partners - Andrew Rigby and David Hinde - have become consultants, with Phillip Palmer moving up to senior partner.

In Liverpool, company and commercial partner Richard Patent has moved from DLA to Hill Dickinson.

Nearby in Manchester, litigation partner Andrew Ryan has joined Manchester firm Davis Blank Furniss from Halliwell Landau.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates/assistants

In London, assistant Tracy Hrusa has joined Harbottle & Lewis from City firm CMS Cameron McKenna as joint head of immigration.

Speechly Bircham has drafted in Dee Sian - who moves from Osborne Clarke - as a private equity associate.

Clyde & Co has scored a hat-trick in its Guildford office with three new assistants.

Alexis Jones, from Bristol firm Burges Salmon, and Sally Jackson, from City giant Allen & Overy, will both strengthen the property team, while Hilary Griffin moves from City firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain to join the employment team.

Two City lawyers have joined Shoosmiths' Solent office: planning associate Kirsten Hewson from Lovells and Helena Derbyshire from Baker & McKenzie; Ms Derbyshire will lead the office's employment team.

Peter Howe has left niche London family firm Cliffords to give Horsey Lightly Fynn's Bournemouth office a family law capability.

He joins as an associate.

Reading firm Clarks has promoted environmental and property specialist Karyn Trowbridge to associate, and recruited corporate assistant Matthew Vance from City firm Travers Smith Braithwaite.

The Coventry office of Keoghs has promoted personal injury lawyer Paul Clarke to associate.

It is all go at Blakemores' Birmingham office, which has promoted two personal injury assistants - Rachael Palmer and Joanne Warren - to associate and recruited assistants Mark Kiteley (personal injury) from Brindley Twist Taft & James, and Andrea Morris (civil litigation) from GMH.

Andrew Robotham, head of family in Blakemores' Ashby de la Zouch office, has been promoted to associate.

Planning solicitor Oliver Martin has left City firm Masons for Shoosmiths' Birmingham office.

Birmingham firm Heatons has two new commercial property assistants after bringing in Richard Honick from Irwin Mitchell and Dwight Bond from Poole & Co.

Birmingham-based Blair Allison has a new family associate - Amanda Holland from Benussi & Co.

Black Country firm Higgs & Son has promoted three solicitors to associate: Philip Barnsley (family), Nick Bone (employment) and Gavin Faber (civil and commercial litigation).

Fellow Black Country firm George Green has taken on Richard Field as an assistant in its civil litigation team after he qualified with the firm.

Anne McGuinness joins Nottingham firm Nelsons as a private client associate from Birmingham's Reid & Co.

Clare Harris, who was a partner at Berrymans Lace Mawer, has joined Altrincham firm MLP as a senior solicitor and head of personal injury.

MLP has also brought in solicitors Emma Scrivens (property) from Frodsham firm Rowlinsons, Helen Stanier (family) from Hatcher Rogerson in Shropshire, and Fiona Wilson (clinical negligence) from Manchester-based Branton Edwards.

Commercial property assistant Brent Williams has left Edwards Geldard for Hill Dickinson in Chester.