Private Practice

Partners


Jeremy Fieldhouse: joins Penningtons in the City

Plenty of partners on the move this week. Starting off in the City, Penningtons takes on two partners: Philip Barth leaves Mishcon de Reya to head the immigration team, while Jeremy Fieldhouse leaves the City office of Scottish firm McClure Naismith to join the property team.


National firm Pinsents hires Matthew Griffith from Ashurst as a corporate partner in its City-based insurance practice.



Corporate partner Adrienne Seaman moves to Taylor Wessing from Stephenson Harwood.



At Speechly Bircham, construction and engineering dispute resolution specialist Lewis Cohen is promoted to partner. The appointment brings the number of partners at the firm to 48.



Yavan Brar: promoted at Herrington & Carmichael

In Berkshire, Yavan Brar is promoted to salaried partner in the commercial team at Herrington & Carmi-chael’s Wokingham office.


Michelmores in Exeter takes on two partners. Carol McCormack, previously a partner at City firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, joins as head of special projects, while Gareth Morgan joins the construction team from Morgan Cole in Cardiff.



Helen Mason moves to Flint Bishop & Barnett in Derby as a partner from her own niche employment practice Mason & Co.



Gareth Morgan: moves to Michelmores

DLA in Birmingham takes on Pinsents’ head of intellectual property Marie McMorrow as a partner.


In Altrincham, Julie Owens becomes a commercial property partner at Myers Lister Price, leaving Cobbetts in Manchester.



Andrew Rimmer joins Pannone & Partners in Manchester as head of construction from Mace & Jones.



Lewis Cohen: partner at Speechly Bircham

In its Tokyo office, City firm Simmons & Simmons has promoted capital markets specialist Michael Dodson to partner.


Associates/Assistants


Croydon-based Ormerods hires Christopher Goodwin as an assistant solicitor in its family practice from Judge & Priestley in Bromley, where he was a partner.



In Oxford, Samantha Scott joins the commercial property team at Darbys as an associate after leaving London firm Russell-Cooke, where she was a partner.



Howes Percival in Norwich takes on five new recruits. In the property team, Michael Hynes joins as an associate from City firm Clifford Chance and Cheryl Disney joins as an assistant solicitor from the Environment Agency, where she was principal solicitor for the Thames region. In insolvency, John Bradshaw joins as an assistant solicitor from Irwin Mitchell in Leeds, while South African-qualified William Shirley joins from the Insolvency Service, part of the Department of Trade and Industry. Employment specialist Julie Glover moves from Birketts in Colchester.



Helen Mason: joins Flint Bishop & Barnett


James Harris qualifies into the commercial property department at Chester’s Hillyer McKeown.


In Skelmersdale, Lancashire, personal injury specialist David Byrne is promoted to associate at Scott Rees & Co.



Family assistant solicitor Rachel Slater moves to Myers Lister Price in Altrincham from Pannone & Partners in Manchester.



In Sheffield, James Bullock is promoted to associate at hlw, while Anna Deans and Sobiya Hussain qualify into the commercial litigation and commercial property departments respectively.



Kelvin Henderson moves to the family team at Irwin Mitchell as an assistant solicitor from Massers in Nottingham, where he was a partner.



Consultants



Kelvin Henderson: heads for Irwin Mitchell

Trusts specialist Bill Whysall, previously a partner at national firm Eversheds, moves to Berryman Shacklock in Nottingham.


Michael Hayes joins Maitland & Co in London as a consultant after retiring from the private client practice at City firm Macfarlanes in April 2004.



Bench and other


Barrister Paul Walker QC is appointed a judge of the High Court, assigned to the Queen’s Bench Division.

Barristers Richard Hone QC and Michael Kay QC have been appointed circuit judges on the south-eastern circuit.


Barrister Roger Thomas QC has been appointed circuit judge on the northern circuit.

Professor Hugh Beale QC has been appointed to the Law Commission as a commissioner for a second term.