PRIVATE PRACTICE

PartnersStarting in the City, six are promoted at SJ Berwin in the firm’s London office: Shaistah Akhtar and Nick Brocklesby in litigation, Polly Daines in corporate, Ajay Pathak in financial markets, Matthew Priday in real estate and Anthony Shatz in corporate. This takes the partner total to 175.

Alicia Videon joins the restructuring and insolvency practice at Olswang from DLA Piper.

Taylor Wessing promotes 19, six in London: Omleen Ajimal and Russell Van Praagh in the corporate team, Andrew Goodman in private client, Gareth ­Morgan in ­intellectual property (IP), Sam Nichols in construction and Robert Vidal in the competition team.

Stephenson Harwood promotes three in its ­London office: Martin ­Fleetwood in the finance team, Ben Mercer in ­corporate and Mike Phillips in shipping litigation.

Watson Farley & Williams promotes nine, five of whom are in ­London: Chris Kilburn, Philip Mace and Mark Tooke in international ­corporate, Patrick Kirkby in international shipping finance and Sandra Sinclair-Hughes in international project and structured finance.

National firm Beachcroft promotes six across its offices, taking its total number of partners to 144. Those promoted are Ben Nicholson in dispute resolution and Sakis Tombolis in real estate in London, Alan Pratt in ­commercial services and Dan Preddy in dispute resolution in Bristol, Kate Archer in the Birmingham dispute resolution team and Owen Rees in the dispute ­resolution team in Leeds.

National firm Mills & Reeve promotes seven: ­Virginia Hickley in the ­London insurance team, Sally Graham in the ­Norwich agriculture team, Richard Noble in real estate and Zickie Lim in corporate finance in Cambridge, and Dawn Brathwaite in ­healthcare and Richard Sykes in education in ­Birmingham, taking the partner total to 89.

London firm Pierre Thomas & Partners promotes Julie M Straughan in the travel PI and general ­litigation department.

Horsham firm Paul Davidson Taylor ­promotes commercial litigator William Angas and ­contentious insolvency ­specialist Tim Symes.

Regional firm Dyne Drewett promotes commercial property specialist Justin Hopkins.

South-east firm Furley Page promotes Susan Jennings in the Chatham ­corporate team and Anne Blenkinsop in the family team at Canterbury.

South Yorkshire firm Oxley & Coward promotes Mamoon Chaudhary in the property litigation and dispute resolution team and Chris Harvey in commercial property.

National firm TLT promotes Suzanne MacDonald in the financial services ­regulation team and Andrew Webber in the ­corporate finance team.

Chester and North Wales firm Walker Smith Way promotes three: Rhian ­Coppack in residential property, Anna Duffy in commercial litigation and Martyn Elliott in personal injury.

Associates/assistantsIn Bournemouth Lester Aldridge appoints ­assistant Louisa Ghevaert in the family team from Cambridge firm Taylor Vinters.

Black Country firm George Green expands its dispute resolution team with the hire of assistant Simon Griffiths from Shoosmiths in Birmingham.

Associate Christina ­Suddes joins DWF’s ­Manchester office from Eversheds to head its property finance team; assistant Catherine Fanning joins with her.

Manchester firm Croftons promotes ­personal injury associate Lee Jones to associate.

Preston firm Napthens appoints Philip Wright in the commercial property department from Southport firm Brown Turner.

Chester and North Wales firm Walker Smith Way promotes Thomas Pearson (commercial property), Tom Sutcliffe (IP) and Darren Hughes (personal injury) to associate.

Cardiff firm Hugh James appoints senior associate Greg Williams from local firm Berry Smith and ­assistant Meghan Nolan from City firm Slaughter and May; both join the ­corporate department.

Bar/barristersIn the City, employment specialist Robin White joins Old Square Chambers from Farrar’s Building chambers, not as stated in the Gazette of 5 June.