Private practice

Partners


Bally Atwal: PI specialist at Smith Partnership

London media firm Harbottle & Lewis now has 22 partners following the promotion of five of its solicitors. Neil Adleman heads the firm’s theatre practice, while James Sully and Antony Bebawi lead the music group. Tim Parker will continue in the corporate finance department, and Douglas Lochhead becomes the firm’s first designated finance partner. Intellectual property specialist Lee Gage has also joined Harbottles as an assistant, moving from north London firm Briffa.


Judy Bishton has been made up to salaried partner at South London firm Fisher Meredith. She is head of the firm’s children team, and brings its partnership numbers up to nine.



Salisbury firm Wilsons has two new partners following the promotion of Alison McKenna, head of its charities team, and Adam Herbert in the private client department.



Steve Allen makes the move from Wragge & Co to head Mills & Reeve’s Birmingham-based commercial disputes department.



In the East Midlands, Smith Partnership has boosted its partnership tally to 18 by promoting three of its solicitors. They are Kevin Curran, who heads up the commercial debt recovery department, Andrew Hill, who moves up in the corporate services team, and Bally Atwal, a specialist in the firm’s personal injury department.



Commercial litigation partner Andrew Argyle joins Lincoln-based firm Langleys from Birmingham firm Shakespeares.


Three promotions at Cheshire firm Daniels Solicitors: Glenys Browton (probate), Helen Thompson (employment/ commercial litigation) and Nicola Wilson (head of personal injury) have all been made up to partner.


Ann Elliott: joins family team at Flint Bishop

Cheshire firm Walker Smith Way has promoted Rachel Wynn Jones to partner in its family department and David Williams as an associate in its commercial team. Solicitor Mark Burnet also joins the firm’s trusts and probate department from Cuff Roberts Solicitors in Liverpool.




Assistants/ associates



Senior solicitor Victor Wasserberg has boosted London firm Goodman Ray’s children department following his move from Mehta & Co.



Company and commercial solicitor Matthew Mace has moved from City firm Eversheds to join Essex firm Wortley Byers.



Solicitor Anna Walsh moves from Guildford’s Hart Brown to join Oxford firm Blake Lapthorn Linnell’s property litigation team.



Challinors Lyon Clark has promoted four of its solicitors to associate. They are: Fiona Bowen (childcare) and Sarah Corser (clinical negligence) in the firm’s Birmingham office, and Linda McGrath (employment) and Jane Dunham (commercial property) in West Bromwich.



Freethcartwright’s Leicester office has scored a hat-trick with the appointment of three of its solicitors to associate. Mary Mackintosh takes a step up in the company and commercial department, while Nisha Gohel and Margaret Sanders move up the ladder in the firm’s commercial property team.



Andrew Argyle: litigation partner joins Langleys

Adam Percival joins north Staffordshire firm Grindeys as an assistant in its commercial law team, moving from Putsman wlc.


Commercial property solicitor Sharmil Rayarel joins Edwards Geldard in Nottingham, making the move from Nelsons in Leicester.



Derby firm Flint Bishop & Barnett adds solicitor Ann Elliott to its family team. She moves from Basildon firm Palmers.



Manchester firm Cooper Kenyon Burrows has snapped up a new assistant; Lucy Littlewood joins the firm’s regulatory team from regional firm Cobbetts.



York firm Ware & Kay have three new solicitors. Barbara Murrie, previously at national firm Hammonds, has moved to head the firm’s employment department, while conveyancing specialist David Kershaw moves from Yorkshire firm Sykes Lee & Brydson, and newly-qualified Rachell Bates has joined to deal with family, matrimonial conveyancing and civil litigation.



Leeds firm Morley Mitchell has a new civil litigation solicitor: Donald McClure joins from west Yorkshire firm Inesons.





Bench



Solicitors Martin Cardinal and Peter Ross have been appointed to the Midland circuit of district judges. Barrister William Everard QC also joins the Midland circuit, while his fellow silks Margaret Ruth de Haas and Anthony Russell have been recruited to the Northern circuit.