Disappearance of law trainee still a mystery

CITY firm Cameron Markby Hewitt is keeping in close touch with the parents of missing law graduate Johanne Masheder following her disappearance in Thailand.

Duncan Aldred, the litigation partner who interviewed 23-year-old Masheder for her training contract at the firm, spoke to The Lawyer on 8 January, the day she was due to start her traineeship at the firm.

Masheder accepted the offer of a two-year training contract at the firm in 1993 after graduating from Durham University. Since then, she has stayed in touch with the personnel department, letting the firm know of her round-the-world trip last summer, said Aldred.

She had been due to fly back home on 22 December but has not been heard from since 8 December when she sent a postcard to a friend.

Aldred agreed with the view of Masheder's father that she is "level-headed and unlikely to 'drop out'". He said he remembered her at her interview as "excellent academically, and a very good candidate all round".

"We've got our fingers firmly crossed and hope we get some good news," he said.

There was still no news of Masheder's whereabouts as The Lawyer went to press.