Moving on

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partnership - hires

Starting in the City, Sprecher Grier Halberstam has taken on a five-strong team from Masons, headed by partner Anne Molyneux, to form a new leisure and property management group.

Joining her as partners are Julia Elson and Carmela Inguanta, previously a senior associate and consultant respectively, along with solicitors Trina Storm and Loretta Togher.

Reynolds Porter Chamberlain has recruited commercial litigator Fiona Walkinshaw as a partner from Tite & Lewis.

Commercial property specialist David Connick becomes a partner at Stringer Saul.

He joins from Jeffrey Green & Russell.

Niche marine and insurance firm Shaw & Croft adds shipping specialist Andrew Fisher - previously at Constant & Constant - to the partnership.

Beachcroft Wansbroughs has scooped up Chris Gambs, previously managing partner at Palser Grossman in Southampton, to be a partner in its Winchester-based litigation team.

Nicola Hart, currently head of education at Martineau Johnson, joins Pinsents in Birmingham as a partner to head its universities practice.

Leaving Pinsents in Birmingham is charities partner Simon Ramshaw, who joins Anthony Collins.

Mace & Jones in Manchester has appointed partner Janet McBurney from Halliwell Landau to head the commercial property team in its Knutsford office.

Russell Jarvis, formerly a projects partner at Cobbetts, has moved to Newcastle firm Dickinson Dees.

Partnership - promotions

Pinsents has hit 166 partners after making up five: in Birmingham, Vijay Bange, Jayne Dye (projects and commercial) and Joseph Gill (property); in London, Helen Farr (employment); and in Leeds, Pauline Munro (dispute resolution and litigation).

Lynne Freeman (construction) and Julian Turner (insolvency) have been made up at City firm Richards Butler, which now has 114 partners.

Seven new partners for US/UK firm Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw, taking it to 100 in its London office: Michael Brown (litigation and dispute resolution), Gary Cooper, Richard Smith (corporate), Christopher Fisher (employment), Nick Henchie (construction and engineering), Jonathan Moody (pensions) and David Morrison (corporate restructuring and insolvency).

City firm Stephenson Harwood is one shy of its century after making up Susan Millar (commercial litigation) and Justin Webb (property).

Five associates move up at London-based Teacher Stern Selby.

The firm now has 21 partners: David Phillips (commercial and residential property), Alison Green (litigation), Alexia Rock (corporate and commercial), Philip Otvos (commercial property) and Joby Davies (media and sport litigation).

Manchester-based Pannone & Partners has reached 64 partners after promoting Jack Harrington and Fiona Hamor (employment), Nadia Kerr (personal injury), Rachel Slater and Fiona Wood (family), Andrew Morton (personal injury) and Philip Treanor (corporate).

Meanwhile, Alison Barnett (family) is joining next month from Keoghs as a partner.

Pannones has also elevated Stephen Lintott (commercial property), Jenny Urwin and Emma Holt (both clinical negligence) to the equity.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates / assistants

City firm Charles Russell has boosted its property litigation team with assistant Emma Humphreys from Nabarro Nathanson.

Farrer & Co has promoted three assistants to associate status: Helen Bryant (private client), Meriel Pymont (commercial) and Katherine Rayden (family).

South-east firm Thomas Eggar has promoted four assistants to associates - Denise Lake, Esther Smith (both employment), Dawn Stallwood (commercial) and David Barrett (litigation).

London and Hertfordshire firm Curwens has promoted litigation solicitor Niki Philippou to associate.

In Tunbridge Wells, Cripps Harries Hall has promoted four of its solicitors to associate.

Sarah Ferguson, Janet Higbee and Leslie Hill-Smith (all commercial property), and Jeremy Laws (commercial dispute resolution).

David Hollis has been promoted to associate at Sheffield licensing firm John Gaunt & Partners.

In Manchester, Anna Barnes - formerly at Wacks Caller - joins Mace & Jones as a litigator.

IN-HOUSE

David Casement has become head of legal at Chubb Commercial Insurance in London.

He was previously at City firm CMS Cameron McKenna.

Rahima Takhar moves from Barclays Capital Securities to become head of legal and compliance at LCF Rothschild.

Royal Bank of Scotland has promoted solicitor Judith Schrut to senior employment law consultant in London.