PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

Partnership promotion season continues apace in the City with global giant Allen & Overy making up 24 partners around the world bringing the total partnership to 454.

Those promoted in London are: Ian Borman (leveraged finance), David Broadley (corporate), Dna Burstow (pensions), Chris Bernard (securities), John Skuter (securitisation), Mark Levy and James Partridge (litigation), and Chris Harrison (tax).

Four partner promotions at Taylor Wessing, bringing the number of UK partners to 98 and the number worldwide to 194: David de Ferrars (dispute resolution), Daniel Pavin (intellectual property), Alex Thomas (corporate tax) and Chris Turley (real estate).

At Macfarlanes there are two promotions: professional support lawyer and head of legal information David Coleman and competition specialist Marc Israel.

The firm now has 62 partners.

US firm Morrison & Foerster has hired life sciences specialist Julian Thurston, who was previously at the London office of Arnold & Porter, as a partner.

Elsewhere in London, Farrer & Co has promoted Richard Lane (corporate), Helen Bryant (private client) and Sam Macdonald (charity and community) to partner.

The firm now has 60 partners.

Two promotions also for Bindman & Partners: Julia Thackray and Tamsin Allen are made up to partner in the family and media departments respectively.

Madeleine Colvin, Philip Leach and David Thomas become consultants in the public law and human rights department.

Company and commercial specialist Chris Wright has been promoted to partner at London firm Bracher Rawlins.

Paul Golding, former head of commercial IT at Nabarro Nathanson's London office, has left to set up his own firm, called TRG Law, in Woking.

Alexandra Bonner has been made partner in Memery Crystal's employment department.

Boodle Hatfield has elected property partner Tim Manning as its new senior partner.

He takes over from Richard Moyse, who steps down after five years in the role.

In Birmingham, Wragge & Co's Ashley Mitchell has been made up to partner in the real estate group.

In Manchester, DWF has hired business recovery specialist Gareth Dodds from Wacks Caller.

Three new partners for regional firm Osborne Clarke: in Bristol, Anne-Marie Boyle (employment litigation) and Fiona Sweeting (corporate), and in Reading, Stephen Wilson (private equity).

The firm has also promoted Paul Killen (employment), Michael Bell (tax), Ray Berg (corporate), Omar Al-Nuaimi (banking) and Jonathan Brooks (construction) to equity.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates/Assistants

In Luton, two new assistants for home counties firm Taylor Walton: Jonathan Phillips (company and commercial) joins from the London Borough of Lambeth and Shashi Chambers (commercial property) moves from Bedford firm Park Woodfine.

Chester firm Walker Smith Way has appointed three new associates: Clare Graham and Martyn Elliott (both personal injury), and Jim Morris (commercial).

In Newcastle, Hay & Kilner has recruited commercial lawyer Mark Adams from Birmingham-based Heatons.

BAR AND BENCH

Outer Temple Chambers has recruited Peter Ralls QC from Selborne Chambers, bringing the chambers its 17th silk.

Mr Ralls is a general practitioner.

Elizabeth Gloster QC has been appointed the first female High Court justice and has been assigned to the Queen's Bench Division.

John Saunders QC has been appointed a senior circuit judge at Birmingham Crown Court on the midland circuit.

Also in Birmingham, solicitor Nicholas Renton becomes a regional immigration adjudicator.

OTHERS

Jonas Ray Bloom partner Steven Jonas is the new president of the Birmingham Law Society, the largest local law society in England.

He succeeded Diane Benussi at the Society's annual general meeting on 20 April.

Brian McHenry, chief legal adviser at the Competition Commission, has been appointed to the new post of Solicitor to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

He will act as legal adviser to the OFT board and head up the 90-lawyer legal department.

Correction:

In last week's issue, we used a picture of Kent firm Warners' head of family and new partner Vanda James alongside a caption reporting the promotion of her colleague Caroline Sear, a residential property lawyer who was promoted to associate.