Movers & Shakers: Midlands

2019

December

• Shoosmiths has appointed an asset based lending team. Jon Bew and Natalie Barnes both join as partners along with Alistair Hayes who joins as a solicitor.
• Zahra Pabani has joined Irwin Mitchell’s family law team as a partner. Pabani joins from Shakespeare Martineau.
• Browne Jacobson has announced that Richard Medd has been elected as the firm’s new managing partner with effect from 1 May 2020 for a three year term.
• DLA Piper has confirmed that it will be moving its Birmingham office from Victoria Square House to Two Chamberlain Square in 2020.
• Shoosmiths has appointed Josh Howells in the firm’s asset finance disputes team. He joins as an associate from Gateley plc.
• Wright Hassall has appointed Jordan Hamilton-Cox as a trust and tax executive.
• Veale Wasbrough Vizards has announced a number of promotions. In Birmingham Gregory Clark (commercial property) and Jennifer Morries (estates & tax planning) have been promoted to senior associates and Asia Qureshi (residential conveyancing) has been promoted to associate.
• Birketts has appointed Daniel Irving as a senior associate and barrister in its regulatory and corporate defence team.
• Neves Solicitors has appointed solicitor Kim Sayer to the firm’s company and commercial team.
• Tinsdills has welcomed newly-qualified solicitor Sarah Longley to the firm’s family law team on the successful completion of her training contract.
• Jessica McSorley and Jessica Moore have completed their two-year training contracts with mfg Solicitors and have now taken up permanent roles with the firm.
• Flint Bishop has announced that senior associate solicitor, William Harper, has transferred from the wills, probate, tax & trusts team in Derby to the Ashbourne office.
• Danielle Sakseide (wills, estates, tax and trusts), Bethany Boothby (wills, estates, tax and trusts) and Amber Aisthorpe (recoveries) have all qualified as solicitors at Wilkin Chapman in Grimsby.
• Metcalfe Copeman & Pettefar has welcomed newly-qualified Jack Peart who has qualified as a solicitor on the successful completion of his training contract. He joins the business support group.
• GHP Legal has appointed Ronald Carter as a company commercial senior associate based in the Oswestry office.
• Waldrons solicitors has expanded following a merger with personal injury firm Trinity Law Partnership. Solicitors John McDonnell, Gerry O’Brien, Louise Smith, Colin Brooks and paralegal Katie Hinton have joined the compensation department.
• Lodders has appointed David Whiting as a partner in the dispute resolution practice.
• The Birmingham office of Shoosmiths has recruited Dominic Murphy.
• Ian Griffiths has joined Shakespeare Martineau’s construction team in Birmingham as a partner.
• Partner Yetunde Dania will be the new head of Trowers & Hamlins’ Birmingham office with effect from 1 January 2020.
• Blocks Solicitors has appointed two new partners. Caroline Head and Louise Godfrey.
• Lanyon Bowdler has appointed solicitor Mark Tromans to the firm.
• Actons has expanded its commercial disputes team with the appointment of associate Gordon Monaghan.
• BHW Solicitors has appointed experience commercial property solicitor Alison Harrod to the firm.
• Ansons Solicitors has welcomed Mike Vale to the firm as a family law consultant.
• FBC Manby Bowdler has appointed David Phillips as an associate in the commercial property team.
• Fraser Dawbarns has made seven promotions to senior associate.
• Franklins solicitors has announced that Reece Chapman has qualified as a solicitor
• Duncan Lewis has welcomed a new mental health and criminal defence director Rebecca Dart to the firm’s Milton Keynes office.

• Thursfields has recently welcomed two new lawyers to its employment team. Emma Monk and Lauren Cope.

November

• Taylor Wessing has appointed Tasmina Goraya to the partnership.
• Harrison Clark Rickerbys has announced a number of partner promotions - Syed Alam, Rachel Parkin, Rachel Roberts and Jenny Staples.
• Winckworth Sherwood has expanded its commercial property team with the appointment of two partners -  Jamie Barton and Richard Mulcock.
• Blake Morgan has appointed Susannah Treherne as its new head of succession and tax.
• Willans has appointed Sharon Giles as a partner and head of the firm’s divorce and family law team.
• BHW Solicitors has announced the promotion of Waheeda Alli, Hema Patani and Beverley Knight to partner.
• Lodders has recruited Heidi Brennan as construction partner in its real estate practice.
• Gotelee Solicitors LLP has welcomed Andrew Breckenridge as a partner.
• Brethertons has welcomed new partner, Sarah Horton to its wills, trusts and probate team.
• Langleys Solicitors clinical negligence partner Andrew Cragg has been re-accredited as a specialist in the field by the Law Society.
• Brindley Twist Tafft & James has welcomed Katie Nightingale to the board.
• Bevan Brittan has promoted Elena Goodfellow to associate in the clinical risk team in Birmingham.
• Harrison Clark Rickerbys has announced the promotion of Nathan Guest, Emme Raynsford and Morgan West to senior associate. Helen Cairns-Terry, Katie Gotrel, Nerys Thomas, Sophie Phillips, Ian Seymour and Janeen Brindley have all been promoted to associate.
• Willans has appointed Michelle Vandekleut as a litigation assistant in the litigation and dispute resolution team.
• BHW Solicitors has announced the promotion of Emma Marston and Kimberly Marshall to associate.
• Fraser Dawbarns has announced that Alastair Young has joined the firm as a newly-qualified solicitor on the successful completion of his training contract.
• Anthony Collins Solicitors has announced a number of promotions in the firm’s Birmingham office. Promoted to senior associate: Beulah Allaway and Emma Riley. Promoted to associate: Emily Aldridge, Laura Mynott, Stef Zandy- Smith, Esther Campsall, Hazel Findlay, Clare Burke and Kadie Bennett.
• Actons has made a number of new appointments. Harry Georgiou who has recently completed his training contract with the firm, takes up a new role in the dispute resolution team focusing on commercial disputes. Employment lawyer Amita Chauhan joins the firms’ employment law team. Newly qualified solicitor Alastair Rose has joined the firm’s corporate & commercial team after completing his training contract.
• Actons has welcomed two new trainee solicitors Waleed Tariq and Jess Park.
• Ashtons Legal has welcomed newly- qualified solicitor Sophie Newman to the firm on the successful completion of her training contract.
• Higgs & Sons has retained a number of solicitors who have completed their two- year training programme at the firm. The newly qualified solicitors are: Emma Williams, Shana Quinn, Matthew Norgrove, Jenny Tetlow, Ellie Norton and Rebecca Birch.
• The Nottingham office of Nelsons has welcomed associate Gareth Protheroe to its family law team.
• Nelsons has appointed Kieron Crowther as an associate in the commercial property team based in the Nottingham office.
• DLA Piper has appointed Katie Jacobson as a partner in its Birmingham office.
• Taylor Wessing has announced the appointment of Adrian Toutoungi as a partner in its patents team.
• Fiona Thomson has joined Trowers & Hamlins’ real estate team as a partner.
• Browne Jacobson has appointed specialist employment partner Bridget Prosser to its healthcare employment practice.
• Enoch Evans has promoted Reiss Matthews, a member of the wills, tax, and probate team, to partner.
• Metcalfe Copeman & Pettefar has promoted Sarah Gregory to partner in its Thetford office.
• Rogers & Norton solicitors has appointed Amber Tansley to its personal injury team from Gordon Dean solicitors in Norwich.
• Ashtons Legal has appointed Nigel Maguire as a partner in the firm.
• Shakespeare Martineau has announced a number of senior promotions. Justine Ball, Andrew Rushfirth, Jenny Walker, Debra Burton and Rachel Kent have been promoted to legal directors. Katie Heeley, Stewart Argo, Rachael Mitchison, Alex Ryan, Stephanie Kyriacou, Hema Singham, Ben Darlow, Charlotte Ellis and Joshua Hartle have all been promoted to associates.
• Birketts has announced 36 promotions across its four offices. Maria Peyman, Juliet Harvey, Robert Tiffen and Nick Pickersgill have been promoted to legal director. Kimberly Sayward, Hanna McNab, Kathryn Payne, Tom Verrill, Mark Elgar, Amanda Timcke, Chloe Glason, Laura Tanguay, Alice Harris, Sam Fround, Laura Brown, Leo McMahon, Edward Bellamy, Andrew Ridout and Liz Lacey have been promoted to senior associate. Rob Kellaway, Nicola Nottidge, Nicholas West, Sarina Bailey, Lawrence Pearce, Alexander Smith, Katy Moss, Imogen Grainger, Arwa Salman, Kristian Nelson, Edward Bouckley, Sarah Ellero, Joe Yexley, Victoria Pollington and Josie Beal have been promoted to associate.
• Nelsons has announced the appointment of solicitor Nathan Wescott and paralegal Sabiya Ajij.
• The Wilkes Partnership has appointed tax and estate planning lawyer Philip Harrison to the firm as a consultant.
• Metcalfe Copeman & Pettefar has announced the promotion of Baljit Bem and Chloe Kitchen to associate.
• Ashtons Legal has announced the appointment of seven new associates from within the firm – Jack Burroughs, Sophie McCadney, Phoebe Osborne and Amy Hutchinson.

October

• Trowers & Hamlins has appointed Mathew Harvey as a partner in the corporate team.

• BLM has appointed Khalid Mahmood as a partner.

• Shoosmiths has recruited tax partner Anika Chandra.

• Veale Wasbrough Vizards has welcomed private client partner Nigel Mears.

• Nelsons has promoted Simon Key to partner.

• Brethertons has promoted Kim Lehal, Gemma Kelsey, Dominic Wisdom, Sioban Calcott, David Richards and Emma Stewart to partner.

• Gotelee Solicitors LLP has announced that Andrew West will take up the position of managing partner.

• Nelsons has promoted Alistair Haggerty to associate in the firm’s Leicester office.

• Nelsons has promoted Fabian Taylor to associate.

• Hughes Paddison has appointed associate solicitor Sue Senkbeil to the firm’s private client department.

• Actons has promoted commercial property lawyer Zoe Romain and employment lawyer James Symons to director.

• Hegarty solicitors has welcomed solicitor Gina Payne to its residential conveyancing team.

• mfg Solicitors has added to its commercial property team with the appointment of a new associate, Lisa Morrison.

• Roythornes Solicitors has welcomed two new additions to its agriculture and commercial teams, Matt Fowler and Claire Hindmarsh.

• Hatchers Solicitors LLP has announced that Rebecca Beaman has qualified as a solicitor.

• Ellisons Solicitors incorporating Gross & Co. has appointed Naomi Ogo as an immigration law specialist.

• Thomas Guise Solicitors has joined national network HCB Group.

• Cozens-Hardy has welcomed two newly-qualified solicitors, Chloé Holden and Juliet Farrington-Breeze, to the firm.

• Birketts’ Norwich office has welcomed legal director Helen Cordingley and senior associate Hayley Pettitt.

• Nelsons has announced the promotion of Oliver Maxwell to associate in the firm’s Derby office.

• Pinsent Masons has launched a client and legal project management division which will be led by UK-based Dee Tamlin.

• Veale Wasbrough Vizards has appointed Roz Rolls to  the private client team.

• Nelsons has announced the promotion of Trevor Scott to partner in the firm’s Derby office.

• Shan Jaehrig has been appointed to the Football Association’s National Council as Lincolnshire Football Association’s delegate.

• mfg Solicitors has added to its commercial property team with the double appointment of a new partner and an associate.

• Lodders has recruited John Fisher as a partner in its agricultural team.

• Trowers & Hamlins has appointed Michael McMahon as a senior associate in the corporate team.

• Howes Percival has appointed Caroline Illing as an associate.

• Birketts has appointed two senior associates, Sarah Overy and Gillian Creed.

• Birketts has announced the appointment of Frances Godden as a senior associate in its charities and social enterprise team.

• Sills & Betteridge LLP has welcomed newly qualified solicitors Kia Butterfield and Danielle Hardy.

• Solicitor Christopher Hogg has joined Sills & Betteridge.

• Ringrose Law has welcomed mental health solicitor Laura Taylor.

• Spire Solicitors has welcomed solicitor James Hopgood to its commercial team.

• Roythornes Solicitors has announced that Bede Finnigan, Emily Hickling, Emily Wilson and George Faulkner have each qualified as solicitors.

• Wilkin Chapman has welcomed solicitor Emma Oldfield.

• The Wilkes Partnership has welcomed back Adrian Schuck to the firm as an associate solicitor.

• The Wilkes Partnership has announced the qualification of three trainees as assistant solicitors, Rupinder Sahota, Owen and Tim Burrows.

• Krishan Patel has qualified into the company commercial team at Spratt Endicott.

• Natalie Richards and Alev Tonks have qualified as solicitors at Woodfines Solicitors.

September

• Mike Clifford has joined Weightmans’ Birmingham office as a partner and as head of the firm’s private health and care practice.
• Capsticks has appointed partner Tracey Lucas as head of the Birmingham office.
• Birketts has appointed Deborah Sharples as a partner in its planning and environmental team.
• Roythornes Solicitors has promoted Lizzie Walters, Mike Matthews, Robert Webb and Sarah Whitehurst to partners.
• Wall James Chappell has been joined by solicitor Sandi Jandu in their dispute resolution department.
• Roythornes Solicitors has made a number of senior promotions. Anne Rawlings, David Marsh, Desley Sherwin,
• Hannah Leese, Kirsten Rimmer, Rob Dempsey and Victoria Hope have been made senior associates. Meanwhile, Alex Forster, Jaimie Barclay and Talat Mahmood have been made associates.
• Waldrons solicitors has promoted Joseph Norton to associate director. The team has also welcomed solicitor Paulina Pulawska who qualified in 2017.
• Freeths has recruited Louise Lewis, as a director in the firm’s family wealth department in Oxford.  Also joining the family wealth department in Oxford, are solicitors Robyn Hemmings and Aidan Tynan. The firm’s dispute resolution team in Oxford has also gained solicitor Laura Turner.
• Gateley has expanded its Nottingham team with the appointment of employment partner Chris Kisby.
• Kennedys has announced a number of new hires. In the Birmingham office a team of lawyers join from DWF, comprising two partners, Paul Chaplin and Steve Oates, along with two associates Eliza Kwok and Scott Lawton.
• Clarke Willmott has welcomed associate Robin Canning back to the firm’s Birmingham office where he joins the real estate team.
• Anthony Collins Solicitors has welcomed Christina Blacklaws to the firm as a non-executive director.
• mfg Solicitors has appointed Nichola Wilson as an associate solicitor in the residential property department.
• Gotelee Solicitors has welcomed Karina Jowitt to the partnership.

August

• Weightmans has promoted four partners to equity. The new equity partners include Deborah Bannister (healthcare) and Chris Webb-Jenkins (casualty) in the firm’s Birmingham office.

• Weightmans has appointed Andrew Brammer as partner and regulatory lead in the Midlands.

• Thursfields solicitors has appointed Tim Edwards as a director in the corporate team.

• Spire Solicitors has announced the promotion of Craig Ward to partner in its property department.

• Lodders has announced a number of promotions. Vicky Khandker and Victoria Longmore are promoted to partner.

• Thursfields has announced that Philip Rea, family, and Sharon Oakley, wills and estates, have been appointed as associate directors. Laura Williams, family, and Jade Linton, employment, have been appointed as senior associates.

• Lodders has announced a number of promotions. Ellie Crofts and Tom Ellis are promoted to senior associate. Josy Haigh and Daniel MacLeod are promoted to associate.  Alexis Nicholls is promoted from operations manager to associate director.

• Paul Wilson, a construction law specialist, has joined Stone King in Birmingham.

• Howes Percival has appointed three associate solicitors in its Leicester office – Gary Pitt, Santino Stifanelli and Kiran Vohra.

• Howes Percival has made two associate solicitor appointments in the Cambridge office. Matthew Darmon, who joins the commercial property team.  Jonathan Mumby, who joins the employment law team, advises on a range of employment issues.

• Experienced divorce lawyer, Neil Denny, has joined Roythornes Solicitors.

• Hedges Law has welcomed new joiners to its team. Private client solicitor, Rachel Carrington-Matthews shesis joined by Emily Pinder, senior residentialsconveyancer in the property team. The firm has also announced that Carrie Rudge has been promoted to head of family.

• Martin Kaye Solicitors has announced that three of its staff are transferring to its Wolverhampton office to join the residential conveyancing team. They are licensed conveyancer Wendy Pullar, solicitor Amandeep Siddoo, and legal assistant Ellesse Wilson.

Shakespeare Martineau has announced that Philip Pepper, a partner in the Leicester office.

• Birketts has announced the appointment of eight new partners. Alexandra Nelson, Ed Savory,  Alex Schaafsma,  Andrew Tubb,  Matthew Gowen , Bernie Baker, Cameron Barlow and Jeremy Stanton,

• DFA Law has announced that Rachel Adams has joined the firm as a partner and head of family.

• Ashtons Legal has appointed Tim Kirkconel and Claire Smith as members of the property litigation team.

• Shakespeare Martineau in Birmingham has appointed Esther Maxwell as a legal director in the employment team.

• Gowling WLG has announced a number of promotions to legal director. In Birmingham they are: Rachel Kerr, Kay Desai, Tom Stockley, Sarah Dyer and Sara Chambers.

• Vicky Crawford has joined the residential property team at Holmes & Hills in the firm’s Sudbury office.

• Ellisons has appointed Petra Sharp as a senior associate in the corporate andcommercial team based in the Ipswich office.

• Howes Percival has appointed Alexandra Hornsby as a director in the private client team based in the Leicester office.

• George Green has appointed Liam Owen as an associate in the litigation and dispute resolution team.

July

• Taylor Vinters has announced a number of promotions across the firm. Kim Wedral-Rooke has been made partner in the Cambridge office.

• Gateley Plc has made a number of promotions across the firm. Nottingham based Victoria Elliott and Beth Mather (both corporate) in Birmingham, Chris Adams (real estate) and Lisa Clark (residential development) and Leicesterbased Claire Herbert (commercial dispute resolution) have all been promoted to partners.

• Wilkin Chapman has welcomed Richard Parnell as a partner in the employment team.

• Ringrose Law has announced the promotion of Costa Kyriacou to head of the firm’s newly formed children law department. Senior partner Paul Cooper continues to head the family law department, representing clients with divorce separation and financial matters. Sam Turner is the head of the mental health team, Christine Pickwell for mediation and Nicola Skayman heads up the domestic abuse team.

• Emma Sharples has become a partner at Scott Rees & Co.

• Gateley Plc has made a number of promotions across the firm. Paul Alcock (residential development) and Will Cursham (construction) have been promoted to legal directors in the Birmingham office.

• Taylor Vinters has announced a number of promotions across the firm. In the Cambridge office Beth Price, Emma Millar and Geoff Dragon have been promoted to senior associate.

• Lodders has welcomed solicitor Sarah Richardson back to the firm’s rural sector team after a period in the rural business and landed estates team at Charles Russell Speechlys in Cheltenham.

• Wall James Chappell has welcomed solicitor Sara Anderson to its family law team.

• mfg Solicitors has welcomed associate Melinda Rice to its private client team in Birmingham.

• Howes Percival has welcomed three newly qualified solicitors, following successful completion of their training contracts with the firm. Jasmine Mason and Emma Lant have joined the commercial property team, while Donna-Marie Helgeson has qualified into the commercial litigation team.

• Martin-Kaye Solicitors has promoted Emma Palmer, who has been with the firm in Telford for 20 years, as head of the employment department.

• Prettys Solicitors has appointed Rebecca Cleal as a senior associate to its real estate team.

• Scott Rees & Co. has appointed Louise Dempsey and Paul Harrison as associates.

• Sydney Mitchell has launched an immigration department with the appointments of Andre Minnaar, senior associate, and Melissa Southall, associate, who both join the firm from Cartwright King.

• Parmveer Virdee has joined the commercial property department at Thursfields Solicitors.

• Weightmans has made two partner appointments in its property litigation team. Anna Albini and Helena Bannister are based in the firm’s Birmingham office

• Browne Jacobson has appointed Gerard Hanratty, health and public law partner at the firm, as the new head of its health sector.

• Browne Jacobson has announced a number of promotions. In the Nottingham office, lawyers Paul McCannah (corporate), Rebecca Toates, Mark Lewis (both development & housing) and barrister Carl May-Smith (criminal regulatory) have all been promoted to partner. In the Birmingham office Matt Harpin (local authority & disease) has also been promoted to partner.

• Freeths has promoted Harjit Saund to partner in its Leicester office.

• Prettys Solicitors has appointed Graham Mead as a partner in the dispute resolution team.

• Hegarty Solicitors has appointed associate solicitor Andrea Beesley-Hewitt to partner.

• Higgs & Sons has announced the upcoming appointment of Nick Taylor as the firm’s next managing partner.

• Rothera Sharp has promoted residential conveyancing specialist Michelle Young to partner in the West Bridgford office.

• Freeths has promoted employment specialist Hurmus Oltan to associate in its Leicester office.

• Ashtons Legal has relocated part of its medical negligence team to Norwich. The team is being led by Ben Ward, a senior associate within the firm.

• Davitt Jones Bould has made two senior appointments. Bav Nyland joins as a senior associate.  Jo Briers has been appointed as an associate director.

• Prettys Solicitors has appointed Andrew Kinnison as a member of the dispute resolution team.

• Hegarty Solicitors has promoted three of its solicitors to associate. Stacey Bell (commercial property), Sarah Bent (head of conveyancing) both based at Peterborough, and Claire Clarke (wills trusts and probate) based at Oakham have all been promoted to associate. Meanwhile, the firm has welcomed Kate Gardner to its residential conveyancing team in the Oakham office.

• Weightmans has promoted a number of associates following the introduction of two new roles, legal director and principal associate, introduced from 1 May 2019. Leicester/new legal directors: Lisa Cain and Sarah Ezzat; Leicester/new principal associates: Asema Natha and Peter Ward. Birmingham/new principal associates: Catherine Ainsworth, Shaheen Akhtar,

• Daniel Barchet, Joanna Brocklehurst, Emma Birch, Tania Derrett-Smith, Ian Hartley, Victoria Duddles, Andrew Currah, Sarah Hopwood, Matthew Lake, Sarah Knight, Sarbjit Nanuwa, Michael McMahon, Maryam Storr, Katie Price, Bhavesh Prajapati, Richard Vaughan, Sarah Walker, Abdul Zaheed and Lisa Watson.

• Gotelee Solicitors LLP has welcomed solicitor Karol Schlesinger.

• Spratt Endicott has made two senior appointments in the Bicester office. Paula Tedder joins the firm as an associate and leads the private client team in Bicester.  The family law department welcomes solicitor Sobiah Hussain to the team.

• Lanyon Bowdler has appointed Emma Jones, a conveyancing specialist, as a solicitor in the residential property team based in the Telford office.

• Symes Bains Broomer Solicitors has appointed three new directors: Solicitor Helen Barton (commercial and agricultural); solicitor Jo Harriman (matrimonial finance and family); and practice manager Andrew Ford.

• Browne Jacobson has announced a number of promotions. Mike Hoye (real estate) has been promoted to legal director in the firm’s Birmingham office and Emma Taylor (commercial dispute resolution) has been promoted to legal director in the firm’s Nottingham office.

• Solicitor Nabjit Dubb has joined George Green’s residential property team in Wolverhampton.

• Solicitor Sarah Nash has joined Ansons Solicitors as head of its wills, probate & trusts team.

• Cormac Glynn has joined Band Hatton Button as a senior associate from Cocks Lloyd Solicitors where he was previously head of commercial property.

• Rothera Sharp has promoted solicitor Eleanor Robinson and chartered legal executive Rebecca Green to associate level in the West Bridgford and Long Eaton offices respectively.

• Birketts has appointed Terry O’Regan as a legal director in the shipping and international trade team based in the Ipswich office

• Two property specialists have joined mfg Solicitors in Bromsgrove. David Faulkner has been appointed as an associate, while Stephanie Rushfirth joins the firm as a solicitor.

• Actons has appointed Simon Dakin as chairman, taking over from Nicky Calthrop- Owen.

• Greenwoods GRM has promoted a number of new senior associates. They are employment lawyer Siobhan Thomson, real estate lawyer Ann-marie Clow, and commercial lawyer Sophie Askew.

June

• Clyde & Co has announced its partner promotion round. The promotions are effective from 1 May 2019. Viran Ram (insurance) has been promoted to equity partner in the Oxford office.

• DAC Beachcroft has announced the promotion of 19 new partners. In the Birmingham office Sophie Lawless (claims solutions) and Kevan Smith (claims solutions) have been promoted.

• Bevan Brittan has promoted Nicola Pegg (clinical risk) to partner in the Birmingham office.

• Mills & Reeve has promoted a number of principal associates to partner. In the Cambridge office they are Joanna Davies (corporate real estate), Melanie James (employment) and Douglas McDonald (commercial disputes). Meanwhile, Junaid Haroon (corporate) has been promoted in the Birmingham office.

• Anthony Collins Solicitors has appointed two new partners in the Birmingham office. Sandy Munroe, a local government property specialist, joins from Bevan Brittan. Tim Coolican, who has over 20 years’ experience and joins from Slater and Gordon.

• Shoosmiths has announced a number of new partners. In the firm’s Milton Keynes office, Claire Checketts (corporate) has been promoted, in Birmingham, Tim Flight (real estate), Andrew Outram (real estate) and Alistair Hammerton (corporate) have been promoted and in the Nottingham office, Michael Briggs (business advisory) has been made up to partner.

• Kennedys has made a number of partner promotions, including Camilla Long in the Cambridge office and Naomi North in the Birmingham office.

• Gowling WLG has promoted a number of new partners. In Birmingham they are: Dan Leather (housing, development and regeneration); Toni Weston (planning); Helen Davenport (commercial litigation), Kieran Laird (public law & regulation); Chris Stiles (pensions); and Joanne Tibbott (pensions).

• Fieldfisher has appointed experienced project development and commercial lawyer Hugo Lidbetter as a partner in the energy sector team based in Birmingham.

• Sydney Mitchell has announced the appointment of Karen Moores as its senior partner.

• Brethertons has appointed Alison McCormack to the position of CEO.

• FBC Manby Bowdler has promoted Jas Tawana and Michelle Monnes- Thomas to partners.

• Howes Percival has announced a number of promotions. Hannah Steggles (intellectural property), Katharine Danks (estates) and Nicola Curle (commercial property) have been promoted to partners.

• Flint Bishop has promoted Louise Easthope to partner and head of employment.

• Stone King has promoted Julie Moktadir to partner in the firm’s Immigration team.

• Bevan Brittan has made a number of senior promotions. In the Birmingham office, Natasha Jones (clinical risk), Samantha Minchin (clinical risk) and Rosie Tabrizi (commercial & infrastructure) have been made associates.

• Anthony Collins Solicitors has appointed Ian Snaith as a social business consultant in the Birmingham office.

• Thursfields has welcomed Fiona Boxwell, a corporate lawyer with more than 30 years’ experience across the Midlands, as an associate director based in the Birmingham office. The firm has also appointed Lorna Tipple as an associate director in the family law department.

• The Wilkes Partnership has announced four senior promotions. Mike Linford has been made a senior associate in the corporate team, Lucy Freeman has been promoted to associate in the corporate team, Katie Briggs becomes an associate in the property litigation team. Meanwhile, Verity Shepherd has been promoted to senior legal executive in the private client team.

• Anthony Collins Solicitors has made a number of promotions to senior associate in the Birmingham office: Ann Houghton, Lisa Whitehouse and Alex Tindall. The firm has also made three promotions to associate in the Birmingham office: Rebecca Sembuuze, Kieran Binnie and Emma Watt.

• Boyes Turner has promoted Rachel Duncan, Stella Perry and Laura Magson to legal directors in its latest round of promotions.

• FBC Manby Bowdler has promoted Alison Price and Will Jones to associates.

• Penmans Solicitors has welcomed Claire Bracegirdle and Pete Colby to the mediation team.

• Associate, Alexandra Smith and solicitor, Anna Thomas have joined Gateley’s residential development team in Nottingham.

• Flint Bishop has promoted Beth Bearder, William Bowler, Andrew Whiting and William Harper to senior associates.

• Howes Percival has announced a number of promotions. Katherine Cereghino (corporate commercial and banking), Erica Gradus (commercial property), Hannah Pryce (employment), Jenna Bruce (intellectual property), Elizabeth Thomas (commercial property), Alexandra Kirkwood (commercial property), Matthew Thompson (corporate, commercial and banking) and Victoria Sandell (dispute resolution) have been promoted to the level of director. Jamie Childs (planning), Charlotte McClean (commercial property) and Lora Moutafova (construction) have been made senior associates.

• Solicitor Laura-Faye Trainor has joined the Birmingham office of Stowe Family Law LLP.

• Stone King has announced a number of promotions. In the Cambridge office: Lara Jones (charity & social enterprise) and Danielle Hainsby (education) have been promoted to associate solicitor.

• BLM has made a number of promotions from associate to partner. In the Birmingham office they are: Carol Eaton (claims solutions) and Jodi Hargreaves (claims solutions).

• Shakespeare Martineau has promoted Tom Long to partner in the Birmingham office.

• Irwin Mitchell has made a number of partner promotions. In the Birmingham office Natalie Barnes (banking and finance) has been promoted.

• mfg Solicitors has appointed partner David Raymont to its Telford office where he joins the commercial property department.

• Andrew & Co Solicitors has announced that head of personal injury and road traffic law, Michael Pace, has been appointed Under Sheriff of Lincolnshire

• Brethertons has announced the promotion of partner and head of practice area, Debbie Phillips to director of legal services for property.  Meanwhile, the firm has promoted senior associate solicitor Bukola Obadun-Craigs to partner and head of practice area for residential leasehold and dispute resolution.

• Shakespeare Martineau has promoted Ravinder Johal to associate partner in the Birmingham office.

• Ashtons Legal has welcomed the return of chartered legal executive Joanna Baker.

• EMW Law LLP has added senior commercial property solicitor, Rhiannon Penney, to its Milton Keynes office.

• mfg Solicitors has announced the promotion of six specialist lawyers to senior associate positions. In the private client team, wills and probate lawyers Amanda Piper, Janna Vigar, Kim Scolari and Rachel Summers have been promoted to senior associate. Agricultural specialist Helen Gough has also been promoted to a senior associate.  Licensed residential conveyancing lawyer, Sandra Clifford also becomes a senior associate.

• Keelys Solicitors has appointed solicitor Sonali Obhrai to the firm’s family law team.

• Flint Bishop has hired two associates and a solicitor in its employment team. Martin Cornforth joins as an associate from Elliot Mather Solicitors.  Laura Evans, who previously spent ten years working for Flint Bishop as a specialist employment lawyer, rejoins the firm as an associate.  Alpa Divecha-Kanji joins the team as a solicitor from Slater and Gordon.

• Borneo Martell Turner Coulston has welcomed solicitor Mohammed Rahman to the firm’s commercial department in the Northampton office.

• Duncan Lewis has announced the recent internal appointment of Alexis Masolo as director of immigration for its Leicester based office.

• Wright Hassall has welcomed Tracy Ashby and Katie Nightingale to its private client team.

• Ellisons has announced a number of promotions. In the Ipswich office Jennie Kingham (private client) and Ian Seeley (construction and Regulatory) have been promoted to senior associate while Bernice Spurgeon (personal injury) and Jennifer Howard-Dobson (corporate and commercial) have been promoted to associate.

• Petra Sharp has joined Ellisons as a senior associate.

• Emms Gilmore Liberson has appointed Perveen Kaur Dhami as an associate director in the property litigation team.

• Lanyon Bowdler has appointed Kris Pugh as a medical legal assistant in its clinical negligence team based in the Hereford office

• Lewis Nedas has welcomed Bartek Piasta as an assistant solicitor in the Oxford office.

May

• Eversheds Sutherland has made a number of partner promotions, including Jenna Poulton (restructuring), Richard Hartigan (RELCON), Ben Newton (real estate) and Daniel Walsh (real estate) in the Birmingham office. Meanwhile, Tom Douglas (RELCON) in Cambridge and Louise Howarth (CDR) in Nottingham have been made partners.

• DLA Piper has promoted a number of lawyers to its partnership. In the firm’s Birmingham office, Laura Ford (litigation and regulatory) has been promoted to partner.

• Pinsent Masons has promoted a number of new partners. In the firm’s Birmingham office the following have been promoted: Laura Ayre (energy); Victoria Baker (financial services) and Tom Eastwood (real estate).

• Clarke Willmott has appointed two new partners in the Birmingham office. David Robinson is a corporate and finance lawyer working across a variety of diverse sectors including automotive, retail and development finance.  Anna Youngs is a specialist employment lawyer who advises employers on all aspects of employment law and employment litigation.

• Fieldfisher has promoted 14 lawyers to the partnership. The new partners in the firm’s Birmingham office are: Helen Andrews (construction),  Nick Phillips (real estate)  and Stephen May (dispute resolution).

• Winckworth Sherwood has promoted ecclesiastical lawyer Darren Oliver to partner.

• Shakespeare Martineau has announced a number of promotions. In the firm’s Birmingham office Emma Oliver (employment), Jennie Davis (corporate finance), Ben Humphreys (dispute resolution) and Grace Strawford (asset finance) have all been promoted to associate.

• Susan Ellis has joined Brethertons as an associate solicitor.  Also joining the firm’s dispute resolution team is George Smith.

• Two legal directors, Kali Yau and Ros Nuttall, have joined Birketts’ planning and environmental law team.

• Jasdeep Bagri has qualified into the property department at Shacklocks based in Belper.

• Poppleston Allen has announced the promotion of associate Sarah Taylor to partner.

• Ringrose Law has announced that Becky Intsiful qualified as a solicitor.

• Harrison Clark Rickerbys has promoted three new partners. Alan Meiklejohn is a restructuring and insolvency specialist based in Worcester and Birmingham. Anthony Goodfellow specialises in real estate and is based in Hereford and the Wye Valley. Charlotte Measures is a clinical negligence lawyer who is based in the firm’s sister company, Medical Accident Group.

• Christopher Cubitt has joined Howes Percival’s Norwich-based commercial property team, as a partner.

• Spire Solicitors has announced the promotion of Emma Trick to partner.

• Emms Gilmore Liberson has promoted Richard Cooper, Beth Margetson and Jon Start to partners.

• Bray & Bray has promoted James Maynard to partner.

• George Green has announced the appointment of Sarah Ward as a partner in its corporate team.

• Price Bailey has announced the appointment of Anna Harvey as a partner.

• Harrison Clark Rickerbys has made a number of promotions. James Osborne becomes a senior associate in the family law team. New associates are Jodie Boston, Dan Godfrey and Kate Hallifax in the dispute resolution team; Lauren Nash in the family team; Tarnjeet Rehal in real estate; and Mandip Riar in the corporate team.

• Howes Percival has appointed solicitors Afreen Mhar and Will Bond. They join the firm’s Norwich-based commercial property team.

• Birketts has announced two senior appointments to its house0builder team. David Springett joins as a legal director and has a broad range of experience.  Adele Dean joins as a senior associate.

• Wright Hassall has appointed Israr Manawer as a tax consultant in the commercial litigation team.

• Thursfields Solicitors has announced three appointments to its wills and estates team. Laura Banks joins as a senior associate solicitor from Anthony Collins Solicitors in Birmingham, Sharon Rowley joins as an associate chartered legal executive from Stephensons, while Katie Morris has been appointed as a trainee solicitor.

• Thursfields has recruited corporate lawyer Philip Chapman.

• Hannah Leese has joined Roythornes’ food and drink team.

• Ellis-Fermor & Negus and welcomed Kim Kirk to the firm’s wills and probate team in the Belpher office.

• Claire Nelson has been promoted to associate solicitor at Cozens-Hardy.

• Oliver Ray has joined Barker Gotelee as an associate. He has specialised in commercial property since qualifying as a solicitor in 2007.

• Bray & Bray has promoted Carly Harwood to associate solicitor. Samantha Deakin has been promoted to associate chartered legal executive in the firm’s residential conveyancing team.

• George Green has promoted solicitors Louise Axford (private client), Charlotte Allen (corporate services) and Susan Ford (dispute resolution) to associates at the firm.

• Hatchers has announced the promotion of solicitors Joanne Roberts and David Phillips to associate.

• Hatch Brenner has welcomed solicitor Varsha Goyal-Wright as head of residential property.

• Hegarty LLP has announced that associate solicitor Andrea Beesley-Hewitt has moved to the firm’s Stamford office, taking over from Jo Wild who has retired.

• Gross & Co has welcomed Belinda Dawson as head of the residential property department.

April

• Emms Gilmore Liberson has appointed three new partners:  Jon Start, Beth Margetson and Richard Cooper. All three appointments were made from across the practice.

• Howes Percival has appointed Paul Hunt as a partner in its specialist planning team based in the Leicester office.

• Kevin Modiri and Lewis Addison, partners at Nelsons, have become members of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Securities (ACTAPS).

• Ringrose Law Group has appointed director Nerina Farmer as head of wills & probate for the firm.

• Stowe Family Law LLP has welcomed Shelley De’Worringham to its Birmingham office.

• Howes Percival has appointed Sarah Hollis as an associate in its specialist planning team based in the Leicester office.

• Commercial litigation lawyer, Desley Sherwin, has joined Roythornes Solicitors.

• Brethertons has appointed solicitor Allison Fitchett as a senior associate in its serious injury team in Rugby.

• WSP Solicitors has welcomed solicitor Cheryl Maynard to its commercial property team.

• Thursfields has appointed Elaine Collins, a specialist in private children matters, to its family department in the Solihull office. It has also launched a new retail & leisure team. Commercial property director, Robert Pettigrew is heading up the team which also includes corporate and commercial director Jane Rudge and associate Jade Linton, a specialist in employment and HR issues.

• Mander Hadley has appointed Peter Burden, an experienced family solicitor and mediator, as an associate director and head of the family law team.

• It has been reported that Talbots Solicitors has made a number of promotions. Richard Stone, Claire Cooper, Yvonne Masters and Liz Hulland have all been made senior associates, whilst Zoe Fullwood and Myles Ellis have been made associates.

• Ashtons Legal has announced the appointment of Sally Challinor to lead the Norwich-based commercial property team.

• Browne Jacobson has appointed Paul Hill as a partner in its banking and finance team.

• KPMG has appointed Peter Workman as a partner in its legal services hub in the Midlands.

• BPE has appointed Antonia Shield as managing partner while John Workman remains as senior partner.

• Lodders has recruited corporate lawyer Graham Spalding as an equity partner.

• Prettys Solicitors has promoted Georgina Rayment and Vanessa Bell to partners.

• BHW Solicitors has promoted Alex Clifton to partner. Clifton joined the firm in 2011 before qualifying as a solicitor in 2013.

• Greenwoods GRM has appointed Lorna Carter as a partner and head of the construction team.

• Malcolm Dear Whitfield Evans has joined the national network HCB Solicitors.

• Ashtons Legal has appointed Victoria Harnett and Hannah Arnold as solicitors in the commercial property team.

• Browne Jacobson has promoted a number of new senior associates. In the Nottingham office they are: Georgina Euden (property), George Petrou (commercial dispute resolution), Caroline Jones (employment), James Busby (banking), Helen Gibbons (insurance litigation), and Dmitrije Sirovica (public law). In Birmingham Simon Brooks (property) and Kirk Glenn (corporate) are promoted.

• Lodders has made a number of senior appointments. Property litigation specialist, Ellie Crofts, joins as an associate in the firm’s dispute resolution practice; Priscilla Macleod joins as a solicitor in the real estate practice; and Alexia Haines joins as a solicitor in the private client practice from Gateley.

• Bray & Bray has announced that commercial property associates Sanveer Sandhu and Beth Lyon have joined the firm’s head office in Leicester.

• BHW Solicitors has promoted Michael Lam to associate solicitor.

• Experienced commercial real estate lawyer, Kate Burlinson, has joined BHW Solicitors as a member of the commercial property department.

• Fraser Dawbarns has welcomed newly-qualified solicitor Jenny Nolan to the firm on the successful completion of her training contract with the firm.

• Greenwoods GRM has appointed Claire Banks as a solicitor in the corporate & commercial team.

March

• Rothera Sharp Solicitors has named Christina Yardley, previously the firm’s business development partner, as its new chief executive officer.

• Fraser Brown has appointed Erin Vickers as a partner in the commercial property department based in the Nottingham office.

• Squire Patton Boggs has announced that it has appointed senior lawyers Kevin Nagle, Amar Iqbal and Katherine Daud to its real estate team in Birmingham.

• Peter Wilding, a corporate lawyer specialising in EU law and former EU media and policy director for the Conservative Party, has joined FBC Manby Bowdler as its Brexit adviser.

• Parkinson Wright, a QualitySolicitors firm, has appointed child care solicitor Aimée Baker to its family law team.

• Ringrose Law Group has announced that David Heath, formerly head of the wills and probate department, has been promoted to operations director at the firm.

• Spire Solicitors has promoted Kristian Tangen-Sorgendal to head of marketing.

• Irwin Mitchell has appointed Emma Callow as a partner in the corporate team in Birmingham.

• Gateley plc has appointed partner Belinda Laurance to its residential development team.

• Emms Gilmore Liberson has welcomed partner Jonathan Wright.

• Lewis Nedas has promoted Richard Demczak to partner in the Oxford office.

• Nelsons has expanded its banking and finance offering with a specialist dispute resolution team, now based in Leicester.

• Howes Percival has appointed Nick Benton as an associate in the employment law team based in Leicester.

• Andrew Jackson has announced that family lawyer Natasha Kemish has been awarded accreditation from the Family Mediation Council having successfully passed the mediation foundation training and subsequent accreditation process.

• Barker Gotelee has welcomed Liz Gifford as an associate. Her background is in charity law.

• Ansons Solicitors has welcomed chartered legal executive Louise Saha to its residential conveyancing team.

• Emms Gilmore Liberson has appointed Paul Pinder as a director in the property litigation team.

• Birketts has announced the appointment of Beverley Bell CBE, Chris Taylor and Dean King as self-employed consultants in the firm’s regulatory and corporate defence team.

• Hegarty Solicitors has announced the appointment of Karon Walton as head of the Court of Protection department.

• Jonathan Edwards and Sarah Husbands, of Hatchers Solicitors, have recently become affiliate members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

• Leathes Prior has appointed Lucy Chambers as an associate in the agriculture team.

• Ashtons Legal has welcomed two new solicitors to its personal injury team: Mick Upton joins as a senior associate along with Sarah Barratt who recently qualified as a solicitor having undertaken her training contract with the firm.

• Ellis-Fermor & Negus has welcomed Jackie Abbott as head of the commercial property department in the Belper office.

February

• Howes Percival has made three senior appointments in its Leicester office. They are corporate lawyers Jahid Ali and Oliver Brookshaw and banking and finance specialist Haydon Simmonds.

• Wilkin Chapman has promoted Oliver Tasker to partner. Tasker joined the firm in 2013 and leads the employment and HR team in Lincoln.

• The Leicester office of Gateley has expanded its service offering with the introduction of two new teams; construction & engineering and commerce, technology & media (CTM). They are headed up by new partners Piet van Gelder and John Buckby.

• Greene & Greene has appointed Ansa Khan and Greg Jones as partners.

• George Green has announced the appointment of Beverley Smith as a partner in its employment law team.

• Wright Hassall has appointed Joel Woolf as a partner in the agriculture team.

• BLM has appointed Jason Potter as head of fraud operations. It has also announced that partner Adrian Marston has been appointed to the firm’s casualty practice.

• Nelsons has welcomed Chris Rees back to the firm as a partner in its corporate team.

• Slater and Gordon is expanding its Birmingham office to include a new family law team. The team will be headed by Joanne Green.

• Lodders has appointed commercial property specialist Ian Yarde as a senior associate in the firm’s real estate practice.

• Wright Hassall has appointed Jon Clifford as head of rural disputes.

• Lime Solicitors, the personal injury arm of Shakespeare Martineau, has expanded its personal injury team with the appointment of associate Vicky Blodwell.

• Helen Carey, a commercial disputes specialist, has joined the commercial law department at JMP Solicitors.

• The Leicester office of Nelsons has welcomed solicitor Victoria Sheldon to the firm. She joins the clinical negligence department.

January

• Real estate partner Simon Boss is the new chief executive of Shoosmiths.

• Browne Jacobson has expanded its public sector insurance litigation practice team with the appointment of partner Cynthia Watts. She joins the firm’s Birmingham office.

• Hélène Maillet-Vioud, a commercial property lawyer, has joined Geldards as a partner in the real estate time and is based in the Nottingham office.

• Clarke Willmott has appointed Hannah Bridgwood as an associate in the Birmingham family team.

• Harrison Clark Rickerbys has welcomed tax barrister Sarah Woodall to the firm.

• Shakespeare Martineau has announced a number of senior promotions. Promoted to legal director in the firm’s real estate teams are Samantha Clancy in Birmingham and Hannah Alexander in Stratford.

• Spratt Endicott Solicitors has appointed Jennie Loynes as a solicitor in the agriculture & estates department.

• Duncan Lewis Solicitors has appointed Lorick Winarskie as housing director based in the Birmingham office.

• Fraser Dawbarns has appointed Marcus Chapman as a solicitor. He specialises in civil law and has a wide range of experience including personal injury and commercial litigation cases.