Move of the week

Konstantov was part of a group of three partners, including ­Chadbourne Moscow head Laura Brank, who joined Dechert in May. Chadbourne ­managing partner Charles O’Neill said: “We’re very pleased to welcome back ­Konstantin as the sixth resident partner in our Moscow office.”

UK
LONDON

US firm Brown Rudnick has hired Orrick ­Herrington & Sutcliffe corporate partner Lena Hodge, who joins as a partner in the London ­corporate and securities group.

The London office of Proskauer Rose has hired Travers Smith head of investment funds Robert Barry as a partner.

Blake Lapthorn has appointed Alexandra Bonner as head of its employment team in ­London. Bonner joins from Memery Crystal, where she was a partner.

DWF has expanded its insurance team in ­London with the appointment of barrister Sherry Dalesandro. Dalesandro, who specialises in ­defendant personal injury litigation, joins from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert in London.

Greenwoods Solicitors has taken on Tom Holbrook as a partner. He was previously an ­associate at DLA Piper.

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert has hired Mark Sellers as a partner in its real estate team. He joins from Field Fisher Waterhouse, where he was a ­partner in the firm’s real estate group, ­specialising in public sector transactions and regeneration projects.

Linklaters has appointed Graham Leigh as its global director of marketing. Leigh joins from HR company Mercer.

Peter Wilson has joined Memery Crystal as a partner from Blake Lapthorn, where he was a partner in the firm’s gambling practice.

Insurance company Hiscox has appointed James Webster as a UK and international ­technology, media and telecoms (TMT) claims underwriter in a bid to strengthen its TMT claims team. He joins from Wragge & Co, where he was an IT litigation associate.

Speechly Bircham has hired corporate finance partner Tim Ball from Shadbolt’s London office, where he was a partner for 10 years.

SOUTH

Associate Louise Ervin has joined the dispute resolution team at Lamb Brooks solicitors in Basingstoke from Wilsons in Salisbury, where she was a legacies solicitor.

SOUTH WEST

Private client partner Christopher Mills has joined Veale Wasbrough in Bristol from Gabbs Solicitors in Hereford to manage Veale’s probate, tax and trust department.

MIDLANDS

Coventry and Warwickshire firm Alsters ­Kelley Solicitors has hired assistant Nicola ­Harris into its employment team.

She was ­previously with CS2 Lawyers in Chesterfield.

Weightmans has expanded its fraud offering with the appointment of partner Andrew Gillett from Beachcroft, where he was also a partner.

Wragge & Co has boosted its national IT ­practice after appointing Mark Henley as a ­director to enhance the firm’s overall IT ­capability. Henley has joined Wragges from Kemp Little, where he practised as a ­technology partner.

NORTH

Mark Lewis has joined Stripes Solicitors as director of media and sport. He was previously a partner at George Davies Solicitors.

DLA Piper has hired Halliwells partner Mike Burns as a partner in its employment, pensions and benefits practice in Manchester.

EUROPE

Italian trial lawyer Stefano Mechelli has joined McDermott Will & Emery as a partner, based in Rome. He leaves Studio Legale Libonati-Jaeger to take up the role.

Simmons & Simmons employment partner Giampiero Falasca has left the firm along with associate Dario Clementi. They both join DLA Piper’s Rome office. Public finance partner Domenico Gaudiello and associates Marco Cirrito and Vincenzo La Malfa have also left Simmons to join DLA Piper in Rome.

Claude Lazarus and Audrey Amsellem have joined Howrey’s Paris office as partners. They arrive from the Paris office of Clifford Chance, where Lazarus was a partner and Amsellem ­counsel.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has expanded the role of Claude Bahoshy, who currently works as vice president of legal for Western Europe. He has now been appointed to vice president of legal and corporate affairs for Western Europe.

Professor Giovanni Verde has joined Italian firm Labruna Mazziotti Segni as senior ­counsel specialising in litigation and ­restructuring. He has joined the firm from the Italian Supreme Judiciary Council, where he was vice-president.

ASIA AND MIDDLE EAST

Yanwen Le has joined Nixon Peabody as a partner in its Shanghai office. He joins the firm from Salans, where he was a partner.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has hired Citigroup lawyer Royce Miller as a partner to lead its financial services practice in Asia. Miller, who is currently managing director and general ­counsel of Citigroup’s Asia-Pacific institutional clients group, will join the Freshfields’ Hong Kong office in early 2010.

Al Tamimi & Company has appointed Jane Coakley, the former managing director of the Dubai Financial Services Authority, as a senior adviser in its Dubai-based banking and finance practice.

US

Vinson & Elkins has hired counsel Jim Loftis. He comes from Mayer Brown, where he also acted as counsel.

Paulette Morgan has joined Nixon Peabody as counsel in the firm’s global business and ­transactions practice. Morgan joins the firm from Pfizer in New York, where she held the post of senior corporate counsel.

Outer Temple Chambers associate Cyrus Vance has been elected to become the District Attorney for Manhattan, New York.