PRIVATE PRACTICE

Partners


Starting in the City there are three recruits for Sprecher Grier Halberstam, which now has 20 partners: former Marshall Ross & Prevezer partner Michael Shapiro joins the property team, head of the employment and healthcare departments Caroline Walker moves from Sheridans, and insolvency specialist Ken Titchen leaves Hammonds.


Beachcroft Wansbroughs recruits Patrick Hill to its professional and financial risks group from US/UK firm Mayer, Brown Rowe & Maw.


Justin Webb joins Taylor Wessing’s real estate practice from Stephenson Harwood.


Graeme Baird joins Clyde & Co’s insurance group from Hill Taylor Dickinson.


Maxwell Batley promotes Sally Ashworth in its property and construction group.


Uxbridge firm IBB hires two from the City: Mark Lewis joins the commercial dispute resolution team from Field Fisher Waterhouse and Juliusz Wodzianski leaves Bates Wells & Braithwaite to join the commercial property team.


Guy Hurst joins the landed estates and agricultural department in the Salisbury office of Trethowans from City firm Withers.


Exeter-based Michelmores promotes two: property specialist and head of the London office Stephen Scates and planning and environmental specialist Graham Cridland.


In the midlands, Bevan Brittan promotes leisure private finance initiative specialist Penny Rinta-Suksi, who relocates to the Birmingham office.


Two join Harvey Ingram to launch a corporate team at its Birmingham office: Rick Smyth from Wragge & Co and Mat Harvey from Hammonds.


Construction litigator Michael O’Shea moves to Wragge & Co from Pinsent Masons’ Manchester office.


Regional firm Cobbetts re-elects Michael Shaw as managing partner for another three-year term. This will be his third term in charge.


Cobbetts also strengthens its financial services practice with the appointment of Andrew Bennett in its Leeds office; he moves from DLA Direct in Bradford.


Tina Liddell joins the property team at Schofield Sweeney’s Leeds office from Pinsent Masons.


Still in Leeds, Fox Hayes appoints sport and media specialist Stephen Heath; he was formerly in-house counsel with European sports promoter Sports Network.




Associates/Assistants


Five new projects lawyers for Bevan Brittan: associate Kirsten Hutton from US firm Kilpatrick Stockton and assistant Louise Whitesman from in-house at Hertfordshire County Council join the London office, and associates Nick Churchward from Lovells, Matt Humphries from Beachcroft Wansbroughs and Duncan Dermot from Pinsent Masons join in Bristol. Construction assistants Fiona Edmond and Lucy Nicholls join the London office from SJ Berwin.


Athletes1 Legal appoints sports law specialist Sarah Herbert from US firm Covington & Burling.


Shadbolt & Co promotes Samantha Dugan to associate in the commercial property department of its Reigate office.


Family assistant Wendy Ryle moves to Haywards Heath firm Stephen Gallico from Thomas Eggar in Worthing.


Catherine Hopkins joins Oxford firm Darbys as an assistant in the clinical negligence team from Penningtons in Basingstoke.


Newbury firm Gardner Leader welcomes associate Derek Rodgers to its corporate team. He joins from Sheffield firm Keeble Hawson.


Sohan Sidhu joins the immigration team at Bury St Edmunds firm Gross & Co from Thompson Leatherdale in Reading.


Commercial property solicitor Neil Etherington joins Flint Bishop & Barnett’s Derby office from Howes Percival in Leicester.


Paul Brill moves to Nottingham firm Andersons to head its employment team from Fisher Meredith in London.


Lindsey Becker becomes a criminal and personal injury assistant at Manchester firm Maidments on qualification with the firm.


Richard Wilkinson joins Schofield Sweeney’s Leeds property team after qualifying in the firm’s Bradford office.



BAR AND BENCH


Barrister Nicholas Underhill QC is appointed a High Court judge in the Queen’s Bench Division.


Criminal silk Michael Bowes QC moves to Outer Temple Chambers from 2 King’s Bench Walk.



OTHER


Kapil Dhir joins City firm Holman Fenwick & Willan as a consultant; he moves from Ince & Co and specialises in corporate and regulatory insurance work.