PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners

The most high-profile move this week sees Christopher Ashworth leave City firm Ashurst, where he was a former head of corporate, to join the London office transactions team of US firm O’Melveny & Myers. He will spearhead the firm’s European mergers and acquisitions practice.

Two partners for the banking and finance department at Stephenson Harwood: David Lacey, formerly a partner at Lovells, joins in London to head up the non-contentious trade finance practice, while Asheesh Das joins the Singapore office after running his own business.

Competition lawyer Shaun Goodman is promoted to partner in the London office of US firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. Intellectual property specialist Noëlle Colfer becomes counsel.

Catastrophic injury specialist Jill Greenfield joins the personal injury and clinical negligence department at City firm Field Fisher Waterhouse from Reynolds Porter Chamberlain.

Securitisation specialist Simon Small moves to Ashurst from Linklaters.

The London office of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham has recruited Ian Fraser to its tax group. He moves from Baker & McKenzie.

Ashok Ghosh joins the projects team in McClure Naismith’s London office from Beachcroft Wansbroughs.

Dechert has bolstered its Islamic finance practice by hiring Abradat Kamalpour, a senior associate from Norton Rose, as a partner.

Martin Lister joins the corporate insurance team at Kendall Freeman from Hong Kong firm Deacons.

Two partners for Finers Stephens Innocent: corporate specialist Paul Glassberg joins from Lewis Silkin, while Mark Johnstone moves from the London office of US firm Kilpatrick Stockton.

Commercial property specialist Mino Themistocli joins Davenport Lyons from Nelsons in central London.

To Reading, where Caroline Wallis joins Boyes Turner’s tax planning, wills and probate group from Bates NVH in Fleet.

Maggie Roberts leads a team of childcare and family lawyers joining Foot Anstey in Taunton from Clarke Willmott. The other members of the team are assistants Becky Opie, Carole Newstead, Emma Perkins and Kate Fitzgerald.

Residential property specialist Stephen Ramsbottom joins Raworths as head of the Knaresborough office from Harrogate-based Spencer Ewin Mulvihill.

Hull firm Andrew M Jackson promotes Lee Whiting (employment) to partner.



Management

Litigator Ruth Grant has been chosen to replace Russell Sleigh as managing partner for Lovells’ London office. She will serve a three-year term. German lawyers Harald Seisler and Andreas von Falck have been appointed regional managing partner for Continental Europe and head of the commerce stream respectively.

Corporate specialist Ian Metcalfe becomes managing partner at Birmingham and London firm Wragge & Co, replacing Richard Haywood who will lead a firm-wide business development campaign. David Vaughan becomes group leader for corporate.

Andrew Barnes, head of commercial litigation at Howes Percival, will become managing partner of the East Anglia and Midlands-based firm in April 2006. He replaces Alan Kefford, who will stay with the firm for a further 12 months.



Associates/Assistants

US firm Kirkland & Ellis has two new associates for its European restructuring team in London: Natasha Watson, previously at Baker & McKenzie, and Helena Potts, formerly of Weil Gotshal & Manges.

Two employment assistants for Doyle Clayton in the City: Tina Wisener joins from Shoosmiths’ Reading office, while Matt Gingell leaves the Treasury Solicitor’s Department.

The new London office of Manchester firm Fentons has bolstered its personal injury team with four hires: Katie Pendower and John Reeder join as associates from Jeffrey Green Russell and PJ Law respectively, while Joanna Bailey and Karen Liddell in turn join as assistants from IBB and Shoosmiths.

Newly-qualified assistant Joanna Harrison moves from Withers to the family team at Harcus Sinclair.

Mayfair firm Gordon Dadds has promoted Ann-Marie Ellis to associate in the property department. Lucy Musgrove, meanwhile, joins the firm from Withers as an assistant in private client, and Sarah Birchley joins the commercial/litigation team after qualifying.

Rebecca Briam joins the corporate department at Marriott Harrison as an assistant from Eversheds.

Kent firm Cripps Harries Hall has expanded its construction team with the arrival of Caroline Foster, previously at Pinsent Masons, as a senior solicitor. James Lee has also joined the department after qualification with the firm.

Matthew Robinson and Mitchell Thompson join the residential conveyancing, and wills and tax planning teams respectively at Beckenham firm Pritchard Joyce & Hinds after qualifying at the firm.

Still in Kent, Brachers has expanded its commercial litigation team with two recruits: Vanessa Croisier Challess moves from Oxford firm Henmans, and Mary Taylor Johns joins from City giant Clifford Chance.

David Gibbs joins the commercial litigation team at Essex firm Birkett Long after qualifying with the firm.

Sally Dale joins Metcalfe Copeman & Pettefar in King’s Lynn as an associate in the criminal law team from WF Smith & Co.

Sara Valentine joins Pitmans in Reading as a senior solicitor in the corporate commercial team; she moves from Nabarro Nathanson.

Darren Price joins the wills and probate team at Eric Robinson’s Southampton office after qualifying with the firm.

Bristol firm AMD has recruited two assistants: family lawyer Lucinda Rowe, previously an associate with Barcan Woodward, and commercial property specialist Clare Whitt, who moves from Burges Salmon.

Also in Bristol, Wards has hired family law associate Alison Bradley from Bobbetts Mackan and conveyancing specialist Joanne Guy from Stafford Eales.

Shafim Kauser joins the construction team at Browne Jacobson’s Birmingham office from Cobbetts.

Aman Puri joins the family and childcare team at Blakemores in Leamington Spa from Cottams in Birmingham.

Greg Saunders joins Hadens in Walsall as a senior solicitor in the commercial litigation department. He was previously an associate at Varley Hibbs in Coventry.

Clare Hancock moves to George Green in Cradley Heath as an assistant in the corporate team, leaving Keelys in Lichfield.

David Hardstaff moves to Ashton Bond Gigg in Nottingham as an employment associate from Shacklocks in Mansfield.

Katie McCann joins the family team at Brabners Chaffe Street in Liverpool as an assistant from Morecrofts.

Wendii Tattum and Stephen Topping join the civil litigation team at Rawsthorns in Preston after qualifying.

Six join the commercial team at Leeds firm Walker Morris. Four are associates: Dr Peter Harrison (intellectual property) from Hammonds, Andrew Finfer (competition) from Addleshaw Goddard, Hugo Wharton from Hewlett Packard and Jonathan Garnett from Eversheds (both technology and media). Joining at assistant level are Roy Crozier (sports and intellectual property) from Baker & McKenzie and Elizabeth Wood (local government) from Anthony Collins.

Also in Leeds, Morley Mitchell has bolstered its employment team with the hire of Liz Wallace as an assistant from Finn Gledhill in Halifax. Sian Thompson, meanwhile, joins the family team as an assistant from Lester Dixon & Jeffcoate in Warwickshire.

Commercial property specialist Amanda Fenton is promoted to associate at Hull firm Andrew M Jackson.



Other

Oldham-based Gruber Garratt has acquired the predominantly criminal law practice of Vinings. Robert Vining joins the firm as a consultant.

Judith Clark joins the Leeds office of Levi & Co as a consultant and head of insolvency. She joins from the Insolvency Service in Manchester.



Bar and bench

Solicitor Angela Nield and barrister David Hodge QC have been appointed circuit judges, assigned to the northern circuit. Barrister Christopher Clark QC also becomes a circuit judge, assigned to the midland circuit.

Solicitor Kathryn McCulloch has been appointed a district wL496judge in the south-east region.


Barrister Wendy Lloyd has been appointed district judge (magistrates’ courts) and will be based in Manchester.