PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partnership

August has not proved a slow time in the recruitment market.

Clifford Chance has hired ten new partners to its global partnership, including four from City rivals.

The City giant is boosting its contentious antitrust practice in London with the appointment of Elizabeth Morony from Linklaters, as head of a new European Union competition and litigation division.

And its real estate practice has brought in Jonathan Solomon, former head of Norton Rose's international real estate business group, together with Robert Porter and Arthur Dyson from CMS Cameron McKenna.

Its other appointments are abroad: Donald Carden and Isaac Grossman are joining the tax team in New York from US firms O'Melveny & Myers and Squadron Ellenoff Isaac respectively.

The New York office is also boosted by mergers and acquisitions partner Kevin O'Mara from Akin Gump Strauss Strauss Hauer & Fled.

Charles Roemers is joining as head of the tax group in Luxembourg from Pricewaterhouse- Coopers.

The Hong Kong office has recruited Simmons & Simmons' Hong Kong head of litigation, Jonathan Crook.

And finance lawyer Jrg Wulfken has left Bankgesellschaft Berlin, where he was head of legal management for asset-backed capital markets, for the Frankfurt office.

Also in Germany, Clifford Chance Pnder has new management.

Management board chairman Hans-Josef Schneider and Michael Weller are the new managing partners and Bodo Schnhage becomes general manager, replacing Tjardo Siemens, who is to concentrate on his role as regional chief operating officer for Europe.

Pinsent Curtis has two new partners and a third in the pipeline.

The firm has taken Irwin Mitchell's head of corporate services in Birmingham, Hugo Stephens, and his team of two lawyers and support staff.

Edge Ellison's former managing partner Simon Ramshaw is also joining Pinsent Curtis as its national head of pensions.

James Crabtree, Stephenson Harwood's head of insurance and reinsurance, will be joining next month.

Eversheds has a new head of corporate, Martin Issitt, replacing David Gray, who has become managing partner in Leeds and Manchester.

City firm Nicholson Graham & Jones has recruited Jay Gillman-Wells to its sports group.

He was senior legal counsel and new media head at sports media and marketing agency ISL Worldwide.

The firm has also taken company and commercial partner Alex Woodfield from Thomas Cooper & Stibbard.

Cheltenham firm Bretherton Price Elgoods has promoted two of its lawyers to the partnership: Julian Pyrke (commercial property) and Matthew Jenkin (employment).Manchester firm Davis Blank Furniss has promoted two new partners: residential estate conveyancer Martyn James and commercial lawyer Andy McNish.

CMS Cameron McKenna partner Nick Radcliffe is returning to his firm after a secondment to the Takeover Panel as joint secretary, and will be replaced by Takeover Panel executive, Nicola Miller.

East midlands firm Freethcartwright has promoted property and construction lawyer Christopher Holwell to the partnership.

KLegal, the law firm associated with Big Five accountants KPMG, has hired Simmons & Simmons partner Rob Murray.

He joins KLegal as a director, the equivalent of a salaried partner.

Allan Rippon, a corporate senior solicitor from Bond Pearce, has also joined as a director.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

Associates/Assistants

Boosting KLegal's recruitment spree are Patrick Wheeler, a senior solicitor in intellectual property at Lovells, and e-commerce lawyer Philip Daniels from Bird & Bird.

They join as a senior solicitor and solicitor respectively.

Allen & Overy has appointed four associates in its private client department, bringing the fee-earning headcount in the group to 20.

Barrister Nick Terras joins from 12 New Square Chambers, Jennifer Chambers returns to the firm from Bristol firm Osborne Clarke, Rachel Hughes is moving from the corporate tax department and Sophie St John joins from Speechly Bircham.

Watson Farley & Williams has recruited senior assistant Janet McLendon from CMS Cameron McKenna's energy, projects and construction group.

Niche construction and energy practice Hannah & Mould has made Kim Hurst, who practises in those areas, an associate.

Caroline Walker's decision to stay with Surrey firm Andrew Wills and Company after finishing her training has paid off with her immediate appointment as an associate partner in the employment department.

And Hammond Suddards Edge corporate finance assistant, Giles Distin, has been seconded to the Takeover Panel as an assistant secretary.

OTHER

Clifford Chance has appointed its first chief operating officer for London.

Amanda Burton joins the City giant from building materials company Meyer International, where she was legal and corporate services director.

Eversheds has appointed a former registrar of the International Court of Justice as a consultant to the firm.

Eduardo Valencia-Ospina retired from the United Nations after 16 years, and was legal counsel to its secretariat for the previous 20 years.

Lester Aldrige employment assistant Nigel Brain has joined human resources consultancy OPAL as operations director.

Former Simmons & SImmons partner Martin Ellis has retired as a taxing master and costs judge after ten years and will now practise as a costs mediator at the Commercial Court.