PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners


Corporate and commercial shipping specialist Mark Wandless joins Holman Fenwick & Willan; he was formerly assistant legal director and assistant company secretary at P&O.


Corporate partner Keith Wilson joins the London office of US firm Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, moving from Lovells.


Two new real estate partners for Eversheds in London: Carole Peet moves from Denton Wilde Sapte, where she was managing partner of the Milton Keynes office, while Dan Levy leaves Lovells where he was an associate.


Chris Putt moves to Wedlake Bell’s corporate team from Boodle Hatfield, where he had previously been head of corporate and managing partner. Alice Gould also joins the firm’s media, intellectual property and commercial team, moving from niche trademark and patent firm Marks & Clerk.


Mishcon de Reya has bolstered its corporate team with the hire of Kevin McCarthy, who moves from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert where he was a senior associate.


Kyle Irvine is promoted in the company and commercial team at Seddons.


Three new partners for Pinsent Masons: Paul Rice joins from Lawrence Graham to head the firm’s national environmental practice, property litigator Siobhan Cross returns after a career break, and Mark Yates moves to the banking and finance team from Clifford Chance.


Wedlake Saint promotes three: employment specialist Julian Cox, matrimonial and family lawyer Luci Larkin and property specialist Fleur Palmer.


Helen Streeton, formerly of Mayfair firm Forsters, joins Boodle Hatfield’s property team.


Lass Salt Garvin has recruited Hal Branch as head of litigation. He moves from Thomas Cooper & Stibbard.


Tony Lewis joins the civil fraud and commercial litigation department at Peters & Peters from CMS Cameron McKenna.


Levine Mellins Klarfeld in Stanmore, Harrow, promotes commercial property lawyer Rohit Sthalekar.


Bristol firm Wards promotes four: Susan Ellis (conveyancing), Elizabeth Fry (civil disputes), Janet Rimmer (claimant personal injury) and Jonathan Wilson (commercial property).


Also in Bristol, corporate finance lawyer Laurence James joins Meade King from the local office of Bond Pearce.


Oxfordshire firm Hodsons promotes Lisa Groom in property; she now heads the Didcot and Wantage offices.


To the midlands, where Deborah Ritchie joins Shakespeares to head its construction team – she moves from Eversheds.


Karen Macpherson joins the human resources group at the Birmingham office of DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary; she moves from the local office of Eversheds. Assistant Ben Gorner moves with her. Cameron Craig meanwhile joins DLA Piper’s technology, media and communications department in Sheffield from Linklaters in London.


Natalie Saunders joins Levi & Co in Leeds as an employment partner. She was previously at the local office of Cobbetts.



Management


Chris Berry becomes senior partner at London firm Edwin Coe, replacing John Tomlins who stands down after 19 years in the role. He will remain a partner in the property department.



Associates


Mills & Reeve promotes seven to associate: Zickie Lim (corporate), Martyn Goodger (intellectual property), Vanessa Walton (corporate) and David Quinlan (private finance initiative) in the Cambridge office; David Catchpole (dispute resolution) and Sarah Garrood (regulatory defence) in the Norwich office; and Ada Waddington (insurance) in the London office.


Specialist pensions firm Sacker & Partners promotes three to associate: Andrew Bradshaw, Claire Altman and Ian Cormican.


Gregor Pryor joins the London office of US/UK firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham as a senior associate in the entertainment group. He moves from Music Choice Europe, where he was head of legal and business affairs.


Caroline Scopes joins the commercial property team at Abrahams Dresden as an assistant after qualifying at DMH Stallard in Brighton.


Punam Tiwari joins Silverman Sherliker’s property team as an assistant from Jeffrey Green Russell.


Gary Beazleigh is promoted to associate and head of the personal injury division of Beynon Nicholls.


Four join Teacher Stern Selby after qualifying with the firm: Karen Ozdamer, Sarah Riordan and Ed Taylor all join the company/commercial team, while Allan Dunlavy joins the litigation department.


Naresh Chopra joins the civil litigation and conveyancing team of Shah & Co in Ilford as an assistant from Soods in Goodmayes.


Assistant Adam Workman joins the commercial team at Hampshire firm Wheelers from JP Fletcher & Co in Mayfair.


Hannah Carr has joined the claimant personal injury department at Goughs in Chippenham, Wiltshire, after qualifying at the firm.


Wards in Bristol promotes three to associate: Mary Harty (wills, trusts and probate), Melanie Shore (residential conveyancing) and Julie Burbidge (family). Assistant Hanna Gartshore joins the family team after qualifying with the firm.


Gemma Bowen becomes head of the commercial solutions team at NewLaw in Cardiff. She was previously at Irwin Mitchell in Sheffield.


John Punni moves to Northampton firm Tollers as a commercial property associate from Mander Hadley & Co in Coventry.


Employment assistant Karen Walker joins the Nottingham office of Flint Bishop & Barnett from local firm Nelsons.


Clinical negligence assistant Lisa Elkin joins JMW’s Manchester office from Alexander Harris in Altrincham.


John Flanagan joins the company and commercial department at Yorkshire firm Rollits, upon qualification with the firm.


Also in Yorkshire, five new assistants for McCormicks: Julie Dickinson and Jonathan Mills (commercial dispute resolution), Stephen Gaul (corporate and commercial) and Julia Pearson (media) all join upon qualification, while Owen Liddington moves to the family and matrimonial team after qualifying at Jewels in Stafford.


Joanne Faley, previously at Parker Rhodes in Rotherham, joins the family law team at Lee & Priestley in Leeds as an assistant.


Helen Griffith joins the clinical negligence team as an associate at Sheffield firm Wake Smith from Howells.


Hull firm Andrew M Jackson strengthens its shipping and transport department with the appointment of Matthew Peacock, who joins from Pinsent Masons in Leeds.



Consultants


Noleen John, former head of AXA UK Group’s legal department and general counsel for the life business of AXA Sun Life, joins City firm Norton Rose as a consultant in the corporate insurance team.


Thomas Hays joins Lewis Silkin as a consultant in the media, brands and technology team after various research and academic roles in the UK and abroad.



Bench


Caroline Swift QC, Brian Langstaff QC, David Lloyd Jones QC, and Vivian Ramsay QC have all been appointed justices of the High Court assigned to the Queen’s Bench Division, while David Kitchin QC joins the Chancery Division.


Sir Mark Potter, president of the Family Division of the High Court, and Sir Andrew Morritt, the vice-chancellor, have been appointed to act as president and vice-president of the new Court of Protection that has been established under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.


Solicitor Araba Obodai is appointed a district judge on the northern circuit.