PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners – promotions


Linklaters is the latest magic circle firm to unveil its 2005 promotions. It has 32 new partners, 12 of whom are in London. They are: Stuart Bedford (mainstream corporate), Nadia Swann (financial markets), Bruce Bell (banking), Toby Gray, Elaine Keats, David Ludwick, Edward Hickman (all capital markets), Matthew Keats, Charlotte Morgan (both projects), Andrew Bruce, Joe Conder (both real estate), and Dominic Winter (tax). Link-laters will have 500 partners worldwide as a result.


Seven promotions at Nabarro Nathanson take the partnership to 112. Six are in London: Paul Beausang (tax), Elizabeth Cooper (public sector), Jonathan Douglas (construction), Marc Franks (real estate), Steven Jaffe (real estate), and James Snape (public sector/projects). Stephen Scott (property litigation) is promoted in Sheffield.


Also in London, Wedlake Bell has promoted Robin Dabydeen, head of its corporate tax practice, as its 38th partner.


Boodle Hatfield has promoted four: Fiona Graham and Simon Rylatt (tax and financial planning), Brigid Turner (matrimonial), and James Brand (construction). It now has 27 partners.


Blaser Mills has promoted Rebecca Broom in its Chesham probate department and Sangita Manek in its Harrow litigation department. It now has 16 partners.


On the south coast, Hove firm Bunkers has admitted five new partners, bringing the total to nine. They are: Julia Dyson and Michael Hayes (joint heads of the family team), Richard Bates (private client), Alex Jones (head of employment), and Robin Churchill (head of litigation).


Milton Keynes firm Kimbells has promoted litigation specialist Neil Lyon, its eighth partner.


Nottingham-based Berryman Shacklock is a 19-partner firm after promoting Katie Longstaffe in the corporate department.


Two are promoted at the Norwich office of Leathes Prior: Dan Chapman (employment) and Hazel Gill (private client). The East Anglian firm now has 11 partners.


Wigan criminal firm Stock Moran Swalwell has promoted Melissa Fagan.




Partners – hires


The London office of US/UK firm Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw has appointed Samantha Hampshire as a partner in its finance group. She was previously with US firm Baker Botts.


Intellectual property specialist Ralph Cox, previously at Bristows, has joined Stringer Saul.


Helen Starke leaves Smith Gadd & Co in Horsham, West Sussex, to set up her own specialist family law practice, Starke & Co.


In the midlands, Birmingham firm Putsmans has hired corporate specialist Gary Davie from Martineau Johnson.


Catastrophic injury specialist Peter Meloy has joined Manchester firm James Chapman & Co after 25 years with MWR in Preston.




Management


Birmingham firm Heatons has appointed corporate finance partner Matt Fleetwood as managing partner to replace David Beech, who has left to take up a post at London-based corporate finance investment house Arev.




Associates/Assistants


Sarah Anderson joins niche employee share scheme practice Postlethwaite & Co in London as an assistant from City firm Field Fisher Waterhouse.


Naomi Gagg has joined the private client department at the Fareham office of Hampshire firm Coffin Mew & Clover on qualification.


Cheltenham firm Rickerbys has two new assistants: Kirsten Pratt joins the commercial property department on qualification, while Imdaad Sulaiman, previously at Bower & Bailey in Swindon, bolsters the landlord and tenant team.


Ginny Hallam has been promoted to associate at Nottingham firm Berryman Shacklock.


Oldham-based personal injury firm Mellor Small has promoted Graham Roberts and Richard Lowery to associate.



OTHER


Rosemary Carter, a former national chairman of the Solicitors Family Law Association (now Resolution), has joined Kerseys in Ipswich as a consultant from London firm Lee & Pembertons, where she was a partner.


Freeth Cartwright partner Paul Balen has been appointed president of the Nottinghamshire Law Society, which has more than 1,000 members.