Private Practice

Partners

Paul March: promoted at media firm Clintons

Commercial and employment moves feature highly this week.


In the capital, Mayfair firm Reid Minty has expanded its commercial litigation team with two new partners: William Christopher, formerly of London firm Philippsohn Crawfords Berwald, and Michael Fenn from City firm Nabarro Nathanson.



Leaving Reid Minty is partner Robert Tateossian, who together with Vernon Dennis from City firm Manches join the insolvency practice at Edwin Coe.



Christopher Bannister (company/commercial) also moves from Reid Minty, where he was a partner, to Watford firm Sedgwick Kelly.



Niche employment firm Archon has hired former Eversheds partner Robert McCreath.



Media firm Clintons promotes Paul March in the commercial and entertainment department.



David Stevens is appointed to head the litigation team at Maples Teesdale, moving from City firm Norton Rose, where he was a senior solicitor.



US firm Shaw Pittman promotes Elizabeth Weir and Tim Wright to partner in the global technology sourcing practice in London.



Christopher Bannister: moves to Sedgwick Kelly

Smeetesh Kakkad (arbitration and litigation) and Graham Spitz (corporate) are promoted in the City office of international firm Salans.


US firm Morrison & Foerster boosts its corporate and life science practices with the arrival of Paul Claydon and James Gubbins, both previously at fellow US firm Weil Gotshal & Manges.



On the south coast, head of company/commercial Grant Esterhuizen is promoted to partner at the Bournemouth office of Ellis Jones.



Music specialist Alexander Ross joins niche media firm Wiggin & Co in Cheltenham from City firm Addleshaw Goddard.



In the north-west Ricksons has appointed two new partners: Nicola Upperton-Evans (commercial litigation) joins the Manchester office from Rowe Cohen, while Keith Melling joins the corporate team in Preston from the Manchester office of Addleshaw Goddard.



Kevin James is appointed partner and head of employment at Brabners Chaffe Street’s Preston office, moving from Blackburn firm Forbes.



Rob Cooke (commercial litigation), Sarah Rowland (company commercial) and Sarah Hodson (domestic conveyancing) are promoted to salaried partners at Sheffield firm Taylor & Emmet.



Associates / Assistants



In London, Stephen Beverley Associates has recruited Elaine McMillan as an associate in the litigation department from Darlingtons.



Alison Henders-Green: appointed by Dolmans

Myles Levy joins Howard Kennedy as an assistant in the construction team from the legal department of Canary Wharf Group.


Two new commercial assistants at Reid Minty: Yuri Botiuk from Bishop’s Stortford firm Pellys and Piers Rake from national firm Pinsent Masons.



Naeem Hatimi is promoted to associate at niche personal injury and employment firm Reeds in Horsham, West Sussex.



Neil Parkes joins Wiggin & Co as a senior assistant in the music department, moving from London firm Collyer-Bristow.



Burroughs Day in Bristol promotes solicitors Barbara Calcutt (probate), Emma Perry (commercial), Sara Touzel (employment) and Leigh Woodham (employers liability) to associate.



The Wilkes Partnership assistants (l-r): Adrian Leonard, Claire Cooper, Alex-Jayne Lowe and Dan Cambridge

In Wales, Cardiff firm Dolmans appoints Alison Henders-Green as an associate specialising in commercial litigation from national firm Eversheds.


Associate Stephen Moore joins Berry Smith’s Cardiff office from Bristol firm Lyons Davidson to head the employment team. Also joining the department is assistant solicitor Maxine Douglas from City firm Clyde & Co.



Four new assistants for Birmingham firm The Wilkes Partnership: Adrian Leonard joins the corporate finance team from Silks in Oldbury, Claire Cooper and Dan Cambridge join the insolvency team from Kidderminster-based Thursfields and Birmingham firm Cartwright & Lewis respectively, and Alex-Jayne Lowe, also from Thursfields, joins the commercial property department.



In Sheffield, John Holmes is promoted to associate and head of employment at Taylor & Emmet.



Cheshire firm Forshaws has appointed Peter Marks from Manchester firm Croftons and Mark McKeating from Stockport-based Thrasher Walker Partnership as commercial assistants.



Colin Fenny is appointed litigation assistant at Brabners Chaffe Street in Preston; he moves from the in-house legal department of the Royal Mail Group.



Bar and Bench



Solicitor Suzanne Burn, a former secretary of the Law Society’s civil litigation committee, has been appointed a district judge in the London group of courts.