Private Practice


Partners



Beginning in the north of England, regional firm DWF makes up six partners in its Manchester and Liverpool offices. The new partners in Manchester are Emma Gaudern (private client), Kate Meadowcroft (employment), Jonathan Close (corporate) and Stephen Ellis (real estate finance). In Liverpool, the firm promotes Matthew Stoll (commercial litigation) and Kieran Donovan (corporate).



Insurance litigation firm Keoghs promotes three partners in its Bolton office: Ruth Needham and Stratos Gatzouris in the unit that deals with fraudulent claims, and Lucy Walker, who specialises in high-value defendant litigation.



National firm Berrymans Lace Mawer welcomes back catastrophic injury specialist Roger Brooks as a partner in its Manchester office. Mr Brooks returns to the firm from Halliwells. Stephen Hazleton, who also specialises in catastrophic injury, joins the firm’s Birmingham office from Eldridge & Co.



Ecclesiastical and charity specialist Simon Ellis joins Chester-based Aaron & Partners from local firm Birch Cullimore.



Khal Shahjahan becomes a residential property partner at Harrogate firm Spencer Ewin Mulvihill, moving from Shulmans in Leeds.



In Wales, Hugh James promotes five solicitors in its Cardiff head office. They are: Robert Thomas (neurolaw), Martin

Jones (family law), Richard Locke (commercial litigation), Richard Lane (commercial) and Peter Hurn (commercial property).



Moving to the south coast, John Crawford leaves Bournemouth firm Dibbens to become a commercial property partner at Ellis Jones, which has five offices in Dorset and west Hampshire.



Matthew Arnold & Baldwin promotes two in its Watford office: Joseph Kwok (property) and Peter Hayden (banking and finance).



In London, Halliwells recruits two partners: private equity specialist Stephen Raize joins from Fladgate Fielder, while Catherine Moss boosts the corporate team after moving from the Dubai office of Clyde & Co.



Ince & Co hires Trevor Garrood as a partner in the real estate team; he moves from Simmons & Simmons.

Jennifer McDermott leaves Addleshaw Goddard to become a media and public law partner at Withers.



Wedlake Bell promotes two: Michael Ridsdale (corporate tax) and Michael Morris (property) in its City and Guernsey offices respectively.



Media and entertainment firm Harbottle & Lewis promotes four: Leo Marino (commercial property), Caroline Turner (commercial), Joanne Twiss (employment) and Alison Wilds (aviation and finance).



New firm



Martin Sissons, Janet Simpson and Jeremy Brooke leave Sheffield practice Ashton Morton Slack to start niche private client firm Simpson Sissons & Brooke, also in Sheffield.



Associates/Assistants



Kicking off in the north again, Liverpool practice Canter Levin & Berg recruits family lawyer Debapriya Choudhuri from Lancashire firm Stephensons as an associate.



Family specialist Sarah Crowther joins the Leeds office of Levi Solicitors as an assistant solicitor. She moves from Brearleys.



Keoghs promotes 10 solicitors to associates in its Bolton office and one in its Coventry office. In Bolton, they are: Julie Cooper (motor claims), Ruth Lewarne (liability claims), Elizabeth Harris and Amy Cowen (catastrophic and high value claims), Tracey Baker, Kay Boggs and Emma Teare (multi-track motor and liability claims), Avrom Topperman and Greg Cave (insurance fraud), and Lindsey McCulloch (employment). Julian Dexter (complex liability and sports injury claims) is promoted in Coventry.



Chester firm Aaron & Partners welcomes Phillipa Bagnall from Manchester City Council as an assistant in the environmental and planning team, and promotes Elizabeth Corcoran (commercial litigation) and Emyr Kerfoot (insolvency and restructuring) to associate.



Leeds firm Wrigleys appoints two assistants. Capital tax planner Simon O’Leary joins from Halliwells in Manchester, while Jason Curtis, previously in-house at the Monarch Airlines Group, is to work in the firm’s charities and social economy team.



In the midlands, HBJ Gateley Wareing recruits Mark Haworth from the in-house team at Alliance & Leicester as an employment law associate in its Leicester office. The firm also recruits assistant solicitor Claire Hollins, who joins the Birmingham employment team from KJD Solicitors in Stoke on Trent.



In London, Harbottle & Lewis promotes David Scott to senior associate in tax.



Other



Tim Scorer joins City firm Ince & Co as a consultant in the aviation team. He moves from Thomas Cooper.



In-House



Dervish Tayyip is promoted to head of legal at Microsoft UK.