PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partnership

The City pensions market is on the move this week.

Birmingham-based Wragge & Co is set to continue its strategy of targeted practice area launches in London by opening a pensions team next month headed by former Linklaters' managing associate Jason Coates as a partner.

The firm said it intends to have nine pensions lawyers in London by 2008.

Meanwhile, Fox Williams is to develop a free-standing pensions practice after the strategic hire of Hammonds' partner Ian Greenstreet as its head.

Simmons & Simmons has brought in Philip Abbott from Allen & Overy as a real estate finance partner.

Rooks Rider is now a 16-partner firm after promoting head of property litigation Paul Dunbar, and head of company/commercial Dan Johnson.

Media litigator Cathy Fehler has moved from Hamlins to central London media firm The Simkins Partnership as a partner.

North London firm Manuel Swaden has doubled the size of its partnership with the promotion of David Nathan (employment) and Seena Sakran (property).

There is a new corporate firm in Bristol: Roxburgh & Milkins has been set up by Bruce Roxburgh and Jason Milkins.

The two worked together at Osborne Clarke as a partner and assistant respectively, until they both left in February this year.

Mr Milkins then worked in Bevan Ashford's Exeter office until the new boutique began operating on 1 September.

Morgan Cole now has 64 partners after making up construction specialist Paul Millar in Cardiff.

In Birmingham, commercial property partner Chris Williams has joined Needham & James from Hammonds.

Residential conveyancer Edward Ribchester has been promoted to partner in the Edgbaston office of Challinors Lyon Clark.

In Leeds, insolvency and finance partner Oliver Nelson has swapped Cobbetts for Milners.

In the Middle East, Denton Wilde Sapte's Dubai office gains a new banking and projects partner.

Mathew Kidwell, a one-time senior solicitor at Dentons, arrives from the London office of US firm Vinson & Elkins.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates / assistants

Starting in Sheffield, Taylor & Emmet has a new head of wills, probate, tax and trusts after bringing in Diana Smart from Wake Smith.

In Leeds, Nelson & Co has hired assistants Paul Menham (employment) from York firm Denison Till and James Armstrong (corporate and commercial) from Pinsents in London.

Natalie Johnson (wills, trusts and probate) and Alice Pratt (corporate recovery) have qualified with McCormicks.

Carlisle firm Burnetts has brought in litigator Daniel Whittaker from Manchester's George Davies & Co.

Black Country firm George Green has recruited property solicitor Shilpa Unarkat from Leicester's Harvey Ingram Owston.

Cheltenham practice Willans has a new arrival from Hammonds' Birmingham office - Vanessa France joins the commercial property team.

Jacqie Carr Taylor has left City firm Fladgate Fielder to join the fledgling employment department at Reading firm Blandy & Blandy.

In London's Covent Garden, two new assistants at media, entertainment and sports firm Clintons.

Roddy Chisholm Batten (commercial litigation) and Rhian Williams (commercial and entertainment) move from Nabarro Nathanson and Schillings respectively.

Four newly qualifieds for Kent firm Cripps Harries Hall: James Norman (corporate), Jessica Buck (private client), Nicola Cushing (commercial property) and Gillian Boughton (family).

The Sidmouth office of Exeter firm Michelmores has been boosted by Sue Dowen, who leaves Beviss Beckingsale in Honiton, where she was a partner, to head the litigation practice as a senior assistant solicitor.

Cardiff firm Darwin Gray has hired newly qualified Awen Fflur Jones from Eversheds.

In Belgium, Ashurst Morris Crisp's Brussels office has taken on Philippe De Wulf from local firm Altius to head its employment practice there.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Counsel

The London office of US firm McDermott Will & Emery has wooed William Yonge as Of Counsel with responsibility for the financial services practice.

He was previously at Dechert.

Alison Crofts has joined US firm Crowell & Moring in London as counsel.

She headed the intellectual property practice at US firm Jones Day in London before it merged with City firm Gouldens.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Consultants

Buckinghamshire firm Moorcrofts has engaged commercial property specialist John Castell as a consultant.

He was formerly managing partner of Garretts in Reading, and then a partner at Olswang when it took over the office.

CORRECTION

Iona Levine, new executive director, derivatives and funds at City firm SJ Berwin left Baker & McKenzie in 2001 and did not join directly as stated in [2003] Gazette, 25 September, 12.