PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners


Pensions specialist Steven Hull moves to Ashurst from the London office of US firm McDermott Will & Emery.


Scott Samuel joins the finance practice at US firm King & Spalding’s London office from Shearman & Sterling.


Guy Hitchin joins the property department at media and corporate practice Marriott Harrison from Eversheds, where he was a senior assistant.


Howard Swindall joins the commercial property group at the Putney office of Russell-Cooke from Richards Butler, where he was a partner.


Justin Govier joins the employment team at Uxbridge firm IBB from London firm Rollingsons.


Jill Mason moves to the healthcare practice in the Birmingham office of Mills & Reeve from the local office of Bevan Brittan.


Edwards Geldard promotes four: Frank Tschentscher in the German team and Hugh Strickland in the finance and banking team at the Nottingham office, Ann Hallam in the commercial property team in Derby, and Andrew Evans in the Cardiff tax department.


In Pontefract, Yorkshire, Carters promotes civil litigator Andrew Mawdsley.


Eversheds has recruited Adam Hastie as a real estate partner in Leeds. He was formerly a legal director at Addleshaw Goddard.




Associates/ Assistants


Five join Mishcon de Reya’s family department: Ruth Abrams from Royds, Catherine Bedford from Forsters and Lisa Pepper from Hughes Fowler Carruthers; while Hannah Malpas and Beth Christopher join after qualifying with the firm.


Two new assistants at Howard Kennedy: Paul Catterall joins the residential property team from Druces & Attlee, and Craig Thompson joins the corporate and banking teams as a senior solicitor from Olswang.


Associate Sarah Massey joins the private equity practice in the London office of Wragge & Co, moving from Addleshaw Goddard.


Litigation associate Peter Hayden joins Watford firm Matthew Arnold & Baldwin from Allen & Overy.


Five join Kent firm Thomson Snell & Passmore: senior company commercial associate Nicky Androsov from Stringer Saul, senior family and matrimonial associate Desmond O’Donnell from Londonderry firm Hilary Carmichael, senior dispute resolution associate Neil Kelley from Norton Rose, private client associate Caroline Mackenzie from Taylor Wessing, and assistant Angela Price-Stephens joins the clinical negligence and personal injury team from Brachers in Maidstone.


Colin Adamson joins Kerseys in Ipswich as an assistant in the litigation team. He was previously a legal adviser at Amicus Legal.


Luke Callaghan joins Salisbury firm Whitehead Vizard as assistant in the company and commercial team after qualifying with the firm.


Jonathan Nixon joins the commercial disputes team in the Birmingham office of Mills & Reeve as a senior solicitor from Pinsent Masons.


Victoria Stowell moves to the property litigation team at Edwards Geldard in Derby. She was previously at Cobbetts in Birmingham.


Moving north, Jamie Partridge joins the corporate team at the Manchester office of Brabners Chaffe Street from Shropshire firm Lanyon Bowdler.


Assistant Robert Smith joins the insurance litigation team at Ricksons’ Manchester office from Leeds firm Praxis Partners.


Manchester personal injury specialist Sam Harris joins James Chapman & Co as senior assistant from local firm DWF.


In Newcastle, Michael Reed joins the commercial dispute resolution team at Gibson & Co as assistant after qualifying with the firm.



BAR AND BENCH


Solicitor Alan Fraser is appointed district judge on the southeast region.


Barrister Elizabeth Manuel is appointed district judge on the southwest region.


Barrister Philip O’Neill is appointed district judge on the northwest region.


Solicitor Roger Sheldrake is appointed district judge on the midlands region.


Solicitor Helen Smart is appointed district judge on the Wales and Chester region.


Solicitor Michael Wall is appointed district judge on the midlands region.




OTHER



The Rugby Football League has appointed Rod Findlay as in-house lawyer; he was previously a partner at Newcastle firm Samuel Phillips & Co.