PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

There has been plenty of movement despite the summer slowdown.

In the City, Mark Watts moves from in-house at IBM, where he was global lead lawyer on data protection, to join Bristows' IT team as partner.

Chris Sly, formerly national head of Eversheds' private capital group, has joined Payne Hicks Beach as a tax and trusts partner.

Terry O'Regan moves from DLA, where he had been London head of marine, aviation and reinsurance, to join the shipping and international trade team at Middleton Potts.

US firm Hogan & Hartson has launched an asset finance practice in its London office after hiring Clyde & Co partner Austen Hall.

Technology partner Sherree Westell moves from Taylor Wessing to join Lewis Silkin.

Westminster firm Bircham Dyson Bell has promoted partner Jesper Christensen to head its employment group and recruited Mark Challis from Norton Rose to join its planning team as a partner.

London media firm Harbottle & Lewis has promoted tax group head Glen Atchison to partner.

East London family law firm Goodman Ray has five partners after making up Ashley Palminteri (divorce and matrimonial finance) and Gwen Williams (children).

In Reading, Clarks has promoted Jill Kelly and Monica Atwal to employment partners, and Rowberry Morris has made up media and personal injury specialist Richard O'Hagan.

Newbury firm Gardner Leader has 11 partners with the promotion of Seona Myerscough (family), Jo Barton (head of private client) and Stuart Durrant (conveyancing).

Paul Butterworth joins Bristol's TLT as a social housing partner, moving from Manches in Oxford.

Philip Banks-Welsh joins Bath-based Withy King from Trethowans in Salisbury, where he was head of commercial litigation.

South-west and midlands firm LHP Law has four new partners after promoting Ed Hardy (commercial property) and Louise Boustead (family) in Bath, along with Jonathan Shawe (family) and Richard Baugh (property) in Redditch.

Cardiff firm Hugh James has promoted Pauline Lewis to insurance partner.

Paul Wilson has been promoted to partner in Birmingham firm Lee Crowder's construction and engineering department.

Family partner James Maguire joins Manchester's Cobbetts from Myers Lister Price.

Gillian Murphy has been promoted to partner in Manchester firm George Davies's clinical negligence department.

Liverpool firm Goodmans has promoted family specialist Simon Heaney as its sixth partner.

In York, commercial property lawyer David Grice has become senior partner of Denison Till.

He succeeds Tony Ridge, who remains a partner in the firm.

Leaving Denison Till is head of insolvency Mike Sharp, who has joined Harrogate firm Raworths to head its company, commercial and insolvency team.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates/assistants

Sue Willman - a well-known figure in immigration law - has left Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre in London to join Pierce Glynn as an assistant.

London media firm Harbottle & Lewis has promoted five people to senior associate level: Tracy Hrusa (immigration), Elizabeth Kiernan Earl (intellectual property/IT), Emma Stanyer (film and television), Caroline Turner (commercial/head of publishing), and Joanne Twiss (employment).

City firm Lewis Silkin has added Philip James to its IT team.

He joins from Wiggin & Co.

Family lawyer Kate Hyndley joins Thomas Eggar's Worthing office from Brighton firm Grimley Mulrooney Spearpoint.

Reading firm Clarks has promoted five to associate: Stephen James and Nikki Rice (dispute resolution), Chris Syder and Nick Huffer (employment) and Sally Harlow (private client).

Nicola Hacking has joined the firm as a senior commercial property solicitor from City firm Clifford Chance.

Commercial lawyer Greg Humphreys has been promoted to associate at Newbury firm Gardner Leader.

Corporate finance lawyer Simon Merrall has joined Withy King in Bath from City firm Clyde & Co.

Wills, probate and trusts assistant Dawn-Marie Stokes has left Bath's Stone King to join Wiltshire firm Goughs.

In Bristol, Richard Harries joins Barcan Woodward as a clinical negligence assistant.

He arrives from the Birmingham office of Russell Jones & Walker.

At Cardiff-based Hugh James, Joanne Morris (commercial property), Ralph Pullman and Rob Morgan (both company and commercial) have become senior associates, and Kate Shorney (insurance), Melanie Watkins (insolvency), Rebecca Rees (property litigation) and Richard Locke (commercial litigation) have been made associates.

Hannah Meakin joins Peterborough-based Greenwoods as an employment assistant, leaving Baker & McKenzie in the City.

Anna Albini - a litigation assistant from Beachcroft Wansbroughs' Birmingham office - has joined Stratford-upon-Avon firm Lodders.

The Coventry office of Keoghs has added transport specialist Chris Harris, formerly managing director of Harris Transport Consultants in Hinckley.