Movers & Shakers: South East

2021

February

• Osborne Clarke has expanded its corporate team with the arrival of two technology and life sciences focused venture capital partners. Rob Hayes and Justin Starling join the firm’s Thames Valley office in Reading, along with associate director Elizabeth Yell, senior associate Chris Voelker, associate Magnus Williams and paralegal Fern Tawera.

• DMH Stallard has announced that Oliver Jackson is joining as a partner in the firm’s dispute resolution team

• Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP has announced that Keeley Miller has qualified as a notary public

• Family law firm Rayden Solicitors has opened a new office in Bishop’s Stortford. Senior partner Katherine Rayden will head up the office alongside recent senior hires, legal director Rosalind Fitzgerald and senior associate Marc Etherington.

• Marsha Marriner, director in the Canterbury office of Whitehead Monckton, has taken on the role of head of property

• Moorcrofts has welcomed Fionnuala Woods to the firm as a solicitor in the commercial property team

• PDT Solicitors has promoted Chehraz Fox, real estate team, to senior associate

• Ellisons Solicitors has appointed Pauline Hodgson as a senior associate solicitor in the property team

• Birketts has welcomed Bradley Powell as an associate in the leasehold enfranchisement practice

• Battens Solicitors has appointed Samantha Pattle as a senior associate in the residential property department based in Sherborne

• Gardner Leader has appointed Trevor Hall as finance director

• Gardner Leader has welcomed three newly qualified solicitors to the team: Bethany Giles qualifies into the inheritance protection team, Javeria Tahir joins the commercial property team and Madia Aslam joins the family team

• Churchers has welcomed solicitor Lynn Perry to its Cowes office residential property team

• Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP has announced that James Bird, private client solicitor, is now an associate member of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE)

March

• Cripps Pemberton Greenish has elected head of real estate, Mike Scott, as its new senior partner with effect from 1 May 2021

• Thompson Smith & Puxon has announced the promotion of Sarah White to senior associate in the wills and estates team.

April

• Womble Bond Dickinson has appointed partner Nick Barwood to succeed Simon Richardson as UK chair. Richardson has retired from the firm after almost 30 years.

• Ellisons Solicitors has promoted Paul Forsyth to head of the corporate and commercial department

• Knights plc has announced that it has agreed to acquire Mundays LLP

• Trethowans has appointed a new managing partner, Mike Watson, who has led the firm’s corporate team for more than ten years

• Churchers solicitors has announced a number of partner promotions within their south coast offices: Clare Duffy (child law), and Karen King (residential conveyancing)

• Hampshire firm Trethowans has appointed Steve Cole as a partner and head of banking and finance

• Thomson Snell & Passmore has appointed Tom Hall as a partner to its Court of Protection department

• Penningtons Manches Cooper has appointed Sophia Pole as financial director

• Clifton Ingram has announced that Tatiana Haigh, a member of the dispute resolution team, has successfully qualified and been admitted to the Roll

• HRJ Foreman Laws solicitor has welcomed Sarah Bennett-Hughes to its commercial property team as a senior associate in Hertfordshire

• Knight Polson has welcomed senior solicitor Rhiannon Stonehouse to its private client team in Eastleigh

• Churchers solicitors has announced a number of promotions within their south coast offices. Louise Jack - senior solicitor (child Law) and Emily Manley – senior associate (private client)

• Churchers solicitors has welcomed Eliza Watts as a solicitor (wills & probate) following the successful completion of her training contract

• Accountants, business, legal and financial advisers, Kreston Reeves has appointed Catalina Lowe as a senior solicitor in the legal services team

• Blake Morgan has appointed Liz Bryne as HR & development director

• Boyes Turner has promoted three new partners: Laura Magson (personal injury), Oliver Fitzpatrick (insolvency) and Alexander Wright (Court of Protection)

• Foot Anstey has appointed Tim Wheen as a partner in the developer sector team

• Moorcrofts has announced a number of promotions in the corporate team: Kate Prentis has been promoted to senior associate and Adam Forder has been promoted to associate

• Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP has appointed Aaron Pottle as a solicitor in the dispute resolution team

• Boyes Turner has promoted Emma O’Connor, head of training – employment, and Rob Franks, head of costs to director. Philip Jacques has been promoted to senior associate in the commercial property team.

• Gardner Leader has appointed Rabika Basran as a solicitor in the employment team base in its Maidenhead office

• Private client lawyer Mark Diomede has joined Excello Law

• Gardner Leader has appointed family solicitor, Ash Sanger, as a consultant at the firm

• Family law firm Rayden Solicitors has appointed Abby Westell as a legal director. The firm has also appointed Sara Roddis and Angela Zarrabi as solicitors.

• Emma Willoughby has joined The Head Partnership as a solicitor in the residential property team

• Alice Watkins has qualified as a solicitor into the private client team at Morrisons solicitors

• Stowe Family Law LLP has expanded its family law team in Surrey with senior solicitor Gemma Artus

May

• Blake Morgan has announced the promotion of eight lawyers to partner. Gemma Spiceley and Mat Wilson, part of the corporate team on the south coast have been promoted.

• Clarke Willmott has promoted Amy Peacey to partner in the Southampton office.

• DMH Stallard has appointed Sarah Naylor as a partner in the banking and finance department.

• Thomson Snell & Passmore has announces a number of promotions across the firm. James Cahan has been appointed as an equity partner.

• Thomson Snell & Passmore has announces a number of promotions across the firm. Promoted to senior associate: Caroline Cohen (commercial property); Paul Hill (probate); Catherine Linsell (commercial property); Sarah Nettleship (tax planning); and Nicole Priestley (commercial property). While Jenny Waight (clinical negligence & personal injury) has been promoted to legal executive senior associate. Promoted to associate are: George Lilley (clinical negligence & personal injury); James Parratt (dispute resolution); and Hannah Saunders (probate).

• Warner Goodman has promoted Kiri Saunders-Brown and Julia Beach to associates.

• Ellisons Solicitors has appointed Alison Hare as a senior associate solicitor in the commercial property team.

• Alan Joliffe, a senior litigation executive has joined Novum Law’s Southampton office.

• Shoosmiths has announced new co- heads for the Thames Valley (Reading) Melissa Maple, partner and head of the firm’s high-net-worth team and Nina Smith, partner in the corporate team, will now take on the leadership role jointly.

• Irwin Mitchell has made a number of partner promotions, including Aurelia Butler Ball (commercial) and Katie Byrne (commercial dispute resolution) in the Gatwick office.

• Cripps Pemberton Greenish has announced two partner promotions, Beth Myers (real estate) and Rachel Smith (business development and marketing).

• Blake Morgan has elected Kath Shimmin as its new and first female chair.

• Blake Morgan has welcomed four partners to the firm’s board as of 1 May 2021. They include: Andrew Farmery head of the Thames Valley real estate team; and Southampton-based Sadak Miah, head of the commercial recoveries practice.

• Blandy & Blandy has announced the promotion to partner of Manisha Bhula, head of the residential property team

• IBB Law has appointed Paul Grimwood as a partner in the private client group

• BP Collins has announced that its property dispute practice group leader, Phil Hind, has been promoted to partner.

• Boys & Maughan has appointed Andrew Baker as the firm’s new senior partner

• Franklins solicitors has promoted Emily Carrington to associate partner.

• Girlings has promoted three new partners. Gemma Purt is a family law specialist, Louise Wilson is a private client lawyer and Paul McAleavey – employment.

• Beth Leng has joined SA Law as a partner in the employment team

• Simon Mackie has joined Irwin Mitchell’s Chichester office, as a senior associate

• Cripps Pemberton Greenish has announced five promotions to legal director: Oliver Copp (real estate); Emily Wright (real estate); Leslie Hill-Smith (residential conveyancing); Fiona Chamberlain (legal support services); and Natalie Mulholland (real estate).

• Birkett Long has recruited solicitor Farrah Harvey-Nawaz into its divorce and family team.

• BP Collins has promoted four lawyers to senior associate. Rajiv Malhotra, Steven Smith and James Constable are promoted in the dispute resolution practice.

• CWJ (Clarkson Wright & Jakes) has promoted two solicitors to senior lawyers with effect from 1 May 2021. Kate Horley and Omari Elcock

• Jefferies Solicitors has announced that Kimberley Bradfield has qualified as a solicitor into the personal injury and clinical negligence team

• Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP has promoted Claire Martin to an associate.

• Ellisons solicitors has appointed Francesca Easter as a senior associate in its family law team.

June

• Trethowans has promoted Jennifer Bowes to partner in the commercial litigation team based in the Southampton office.

• Thomson Snell & Passmore has appointed commercial lawyer Poh-Leng Devare as a new partner in its corporate and commercial department.

• Hugh James has announced the appointment of three new partners to its specialist asbestos team. Peter Hilditch and Lynn Yeates
• Womble Bond Dickinson hasannounced a number of promotions,including Howard Duckworth (corporateand commercial) who becomes a managing associate in the Southampton office.

• Trethowans has appointed Harriet Olway, who qualified as a solicitor in 2020, as a member of the banking and finance team based in the Southampton office.
• Blandy & Blandy has made two senior appointments. Solicitor Sarah Grimwood joins the firm’s wills, probate, tax & trusts team and Brigitta-Lizel Danso advises on family law matters

• Thrings has appointed Jonathan Thompson as a senior associate in the agriculture team
• Ellisons solicitors has appointed senior associate solicitor Ben Fox to its contentious trust and probate team

• Churchers has made two appointments to its ‘buying and selling your home team’. Matthew James and Tebo Sebitlo.
• Foster Harrington Solicitors has appointed Tony Roe as head of family law

August

• Agriculture and estates solicitor, Sarah Rider, has re-joined Birkett Long having completed her training contract with the firm 12 years ago.

• Birkett Long has announced the appointment of Tej Thakkar as the new head of regulatory.

• Coffin Mew has announced the promotion of residential property and conveyancing lawyer Sacha Bolourchi to associate solicitor.

• BDB Pitmans has welcomed Hugh Lumby as a consultant in the firm’s real estate practice.

September

• BDB Pitmans has welcomed three new hires in its Reading office. Owen Reynolds re-joins the firm as a consultant in family law, Laura Binnie joins the employment team as a senior associate. Sehb Hundal joins the firm’s new build real estate team as a case manager.

• Thompson Smith & Puxon has appointed Helen Geldart as a solicitor in the wills and estates team based in the Clacton office.

• Louise Kitchen has joined Blake Morgan as a legal director in the firm’s commercial recoveries team.

• Kennedys has announced the promotion of 86 associates to senior associate and introduced a new legal director role, with 44 legal directors and two special counsel. Chelmsford-based Laurissa Wiltshire and Rhumer Hypolite (both liability) have been promoted to senior associates.

• Moore Barlow has announced the appointment of Rebecca Sparrow as a partner in the Court of Protection team.

• Lester Aldridge has welcomed two new partners to its Southampton office, Gilly Locke and Bethan Dodd.

• Former general counsel for Telefonica UK, Ed Smith, is set to join Shoosmiths as a commercial partner in its business advisory division

October

• Boyes Turner has appointed Brian Dowling as a partner in its development and housebuilding practice.

• Taylor Walton Solicitors has announced the promotion of James Cottrell to head the firm’s commercial real estate team, following the retirement of current head Angela Thomas, who leaves after more than 30 years with the firm.

• Catherine Mowat has been appointed Tees Law new senior partner. She succeeds David Redfern, who continues as a consultant within the business and as non-executive chairman of Trust Tees Ltd and Tees Financial Ltd.

• The Burnside Partnership has promoted Daniel Vernede to partner.

• Clarke Willmott has made a number of senior appointments in the Southampton office. Greg Goodman re-joins. He is a senior associate in the commercial property team. Associate Ariaan Wilson has been appointed to the commercial property team. In the commercial and private client litigation team, Chris Hawkes joins as a solicitor.

• Osborne Clarke has retained 22 out of 23 trainees staying on as newly qualified solicitors in 2021, including Rebecca Davies (corporate) in the Reading office.

• Boyes Turner has appointed Steph Richards as an associate solicitor in the development and housebuilding practice.

• Birketts has appointed Patrick Cooney as a legal director in the construction and engineering team

• Birketts has made a number of senior promotions. In the Chelmsford office, Caroline Nicholls becomes a legal director, William Arran, Thomas Carley, Emma Chiaramello and Katie Gibson-Green become senior associates, and Matthew Adamson, Nahla Faiz, Abigail Hubert, Sabina Rooney, Dharshica Thanarajasingham, Thomas Utting and Tom Wright all become associates.

• Birkett Long has appointed Sarah Osborne as the new head of leasehold enfranchisement.

• Paris Smith LLP has announced the appointment of Kelly Greig as head of tax and estate planning.

• Paris Smith LLP has announced that Adam Wheal (employment), Jess Jarvis (tax and estate planning), Emma Ship (commercial property), Fred Chandler (corporate & commercial) and Lucy Andrews (corporate restructuring & insolvency) have qualified as solicitors with the firm. Meanwhile, the firm has announced the promotion of six new associates with effect from January 2022 – Alex Cheele (commercial property), Zoe Culverwell (family), Ryan Mitchell (commercial), Chris Parsons (corporate restructuring & insolvency), Naomi Williams (property) and Sarah Harris (property).

• PDT Solicitors has announced that having successfully completed their training contracts with the firm, Sian Walker will join the dispute resolution team and Victoria Jackson the corporate team.

• Thrings has made two new appointments in its family team at the firm’s Romsey office. Katy Barber joins as a senior associate. Emily Gulliver joins as a trainee legal executive.

• Thompson Smith & Puxon has announced the appointment of Hasina Choudhury as a senior associate solicitor joining the clinical negligence and personal injury team.

• THP Solicitors has announced that Victoria Baker has joined firm as a senior solicitor in the firm’s wills, trusts & estate administration team, based in Henley.

December

• Elizabeth Ryall has joined Trethowans as partner and as head of the firm’s commercial recoveries team in Southampton.

• Mark Diamond has joined DMH Stallard as an M&A partner based in Sussex.

• Womble Bond Dickinson has made a number of new managing associate and associate promotions. In Southampton, Dan Clark and Nesa Kayoueche have both become associates in the real estate team.

• Gotelee Solicitors has announced the promotion of Sam Markham to the position of associate in the family team.

• Birkett Long has announced the promotions of Francesca Cozens, Daniel Sturman and Suzanne Bradbury to senior associates and Sian Taylor to associate with effect from 1 December 2021.

• Birkett Long has announced that Claudia Hubert, Phoebe Trott and Rianna Billington have competed their training contracts with the firm and are now qualified as solicitors.

• Thomas Mansfield has welcomed two new solicitors. Vicky Mansell joins the private client team as a senior associate. Joanne Leach joins the employment team as a solicitor.

• Coole Bevis has appointed Maria Puglisi as practice director.