Private Practice


Partners



Kicking off in the City, William Charnley joins Mayer Brown’s corporate team as a partner from US firm McDermott Will & Emery.



Davies Arnold Cooper makes up two: Andrew Cooper (real estate) and Matthew Wescott (insurance).



Property and private client lawyer David Semmens opens a London office for Surrey firm Howell-Jones rhw, joining as a partner from Trowers & Hamlins.



US firm Squire Sanders & Dempsey appoints Roderick Cowper as a partner in its London litigation department; he was previously with US firm Bryan Cave.



Linda Fletcher joins the real estate group at Bird & Bird in London; she was previously with US firm Paul Hastings.



Us firm Hunton & Williams appoints Peter Brudenall to its global technology and outsourcing practice; he was previously with Simmons & Simmons.



Winckworth Sherwood hires Jennifer Scott-Russell to head its construction department; she was previously a senior associate with Hammonds.



Dechert appoints Steven Choo to its finance and real estate practice; he was previously an associate with Clifford Chance.



Reynolds Porter Chamberlain recruits Jaron Lewis to its media department; he was previously a senior litigation lawyer with the BBC.



Keren Vinall-Morgan is made up to partner in the Farnborough office of Neale Turk Rochfort; she will lead the residential property team.



David Smithen joins the real estate group in the Bristol office of TLT; he moves from Eversheds’ Birmingham office where he was a senior associate.



Associates/Assistants



City pensions firm Sacker & Partners recruits Andrea Bull as an assistant from Wragge & Co.



Shadbolt & Co promotes three to associate. Celine Strassarino and Keir Halcomb respectively join the corporate/commercial and employment departments at the Reigate office after qualifying at the firm; Henri May joins the corporate/commercial team in London from Goodman Derrick.



In Essex, commercial property assistant John Southan joins Wortley Byers in Brentwood; he was previously with Talfourds in Hornchurch.



Moving west, Maidenhead firm Colemans promotes three to associate: Sue Jones (commercial), Karen Eves (family), and John Lennon (litigation).



In Hampshire, Sarah Cardew joins the Basingstoke office of Penningtons as an associate; she was previously a senior associate in Berwin Leighton Paisner’s corporate tax group.



In Dorset, two new associates at Farnfield & Nicholls in Gillingham: John Bovell joins the company and commercial team from Battens in Yeovil, while Adele Dethick boosts the employment team, having been an assistant at Bonallack & Bishop in Andover.



Moving north, four boost the Sheffield office of Wrigleys: Julia Wilkinson (property) joins from Keeble Hawson, Jane Netting (private client) from the Barnsley office of Raleys, Maria Clark (residential property) from social firm development agency IMBY and Emma Irons (probate) from the Doncaster office of Richmonds.



In Lancashire, Skelmersdale firm Scott Rees promotes Karla Kingston to associate; she heads the employer and public liability team.



New Practices



Meena Kumari, a partner at CLB Lawyers in Kingswinford, West Midlands, leaves to set up Kumari-Banga Solicitors.



On the south coast, assistant solicitor Nikki Rutherford leaves Andrew & Andrew in Portsmouth to set up Rutherford Solicitors.



Bar and Bench



David Foskett QC and Robert Akenhead QC have both been made justices of the High Court and are assigned to the Queen’s Bench Division.



Christopher Floyd QC is made a justice of the High Court and is assigned to the Chancery Division.