SJ movers and shakers

Gateley Plc appoints new private client head

Gateley has announced the appointment of new partner and head of its national private client team, Catriona Attride. She joins the firm from Shakespeare Martineau, having spent over four years leading its private client service in the South Midlands. Prior to that, Attride spent five years as partner at Williamson & Soden, responsible for developing and building the firm's private client practice.

Praise for 'invaluable' young lawyer

Alexandra Savage of Warner Goodman has been presented with the Young Lawyer award at the LawNet annual awards 2015. She was recognised as an exceptional young lawyer who has consistently exceeded expectation.

In the space of just three years she has transformed from a trainee in the firm's commercial property department to a qualified solicitor; she has the title of the firm's fastest ever promotion to associate, bringing in fees to rival her experienced colleagues. Her firm say she excels at anything she puts her mind to and is an invaluable asset.

Devonshires starts no-win no-fee debt recovery service for business

Devonshires Solicitors has launched a new service, the Debt Collection Centre, in response to growing demand for debt recovery as the economy improves and businesses get tougher with late payers.

Services from the City firm range from telephone and letter collection of debts and High Court enforcement to company litigation and insolvency. Devonshires says its business customers will generally only pay for the service if the firm recovers the debt.

Matthew Hennessy-Gibbs, partner at Devonshires, said that during a recession, perhaps ironically, businesses give late payers more leeway as they don't want to push the company into insolvency by demanding immediate payment of the debt. But as the UK economy grows 'people tend to be less tolerant about debts and be more selective about who they do business with'.

Morgan Lewis takes anti-trust role in Pfizer and Allergan transaction

Morgan Lewis is serving as lead anti-trust counsel to Pfizer in its purchase of Botox maker Allergan Plc in a deal worth $160bn. The Morgan Lewis team is led by partners Scott Stempel and Harry Robins, and includes partner Clay Everett and associates David Brenneman, Martin d'Halluin, Katie Glynn, and Maria Luisa Di Lauro.

Bindmans obtains equality impact assessments of plan to scrap maintenance grants

The National Union of Students (NUS) has published its submission to the government detailing the equality and access to education issues that were not properly investigated before the plan to scrap maintenance grants was reached in July.

Statements made in parliament after the announcement, which rejected the possibility of equality impacts, led to concern about the process followed. It was only after the NUS issued legal proceedings in September that the government admitted how the decision was made.

Bindmans has obtained copies of equality impact assessments and submissions to ministers which the NUS is prevented from sharing for legal reasons. However, the NUS can say it believes there are substantial gaps in the evidence considered by Sajid Javid, the secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, in reaching the decision to scrap grants.

Salima Budhani of Bindmans said: 'The draft equality analyses raise serious concerns about the factors that were taken into account by the secretary of state when he decided to abolish maintenance grants. Only by issuing judicial review proceedings was the NUS able to obtain these documents.

'NUS has been prevented from sharing the draft equality analyses, which should, of course, be publicly available. This is particularly so given the department's publication scheme which commits to publishing all equality impact assessments online.'

Mayer Brown sees 27 promoted to partner worldwide

Mayer Brown has recorded the biggest intake of new partners since 2012 with 27 receiving promotions. The new partners represent a range of practices: seven in litigation and dispute resolution; six in banking and finance; four in corporate and securities; two in intellectual property; two in real estate; two in tax transactions and consulting; two in tax controversy; one in government and global trade; and one in financial services regulatory and enforcement.

The new partners are spread across a number of jurisdictions with 21 in the Americas, including Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, Rio de Janeiro, Washington DC, and New York; four in Europe, including Brussels, London, and Paris; and two in Hong Kong.

Eleanor Laws QC joins QEB Hollis Whiteman

'Outstanding criminal practitioner' Eleanor Laws QC has joined QEB Hollis Whiteman. The criminal silk is known for prosecuting and defending some of the most prominent and demanding cases, notably those involving serious sexual violence and child abuse.

Laws is currently lead counsel instructed to review and prosecute all cases arising out of Operation Pallial, investigating allegations of child sex abuse in North Wales children's homes. This is the largest investigation into child abuse in the UK to date.

Head of chambers Mark Ellison QC commented: 'Eleanor's knowledge and achievements are outstanding and we are very happy to welcome her to our flourishing criminal practice.'

RPC advises Daily Mail on sale of Wowcher

RPC has advised the Daily Mail and General Trust on the sale of Wowcher to a newly formed online voucher business, to be controlled by private equity group, Exponent.

The RPC team was led by partner Neil Brown and associate Peter Sugden. Senior associate Ben Roberts advised on tax aspects. The deal was supported by client relationship partner Tim Anderson.

Partner David Marshall advised Wowcher's management on the deal.

Exponent was advised by Allen & Overy.