SJ movers and shakers

Linklaters boosts private equity team with re-hire

Linklaters has convinced highly-regarded private equity partner Ben Rodham to re-join the firm's London office, starting early in the New Year.

Rodham, whose experience includes advising private equity firms and other financial sponsors on all forms of leveraged mergers and acquisitions, disposals, restructurings and portfolio company issues, joins Linklaters from Shearman & Sterling.

Slaughter and May, Burges Salmon, Dentons, and Eversheds on legal panel

The John Lewis Partnership has revealed its new looks legal panel following a review. Slaughter and May is appointed as corporate adviser to provide strategic advice in complex and high-profile areas and to support corporate governance matters.

Burges Salmon is a new appointment and joins Dentons and Eversheds, which have been reappointed, to provide a full range of legal services outside Slaughter's remit.

Geldards expands Cardiff HQ

The Welsh government has backed Cardiff firm Geldards with a £127,000 investment as part of the company's plans to grow UK and international legal services, creating 25 new jobs and safeguarding 30.

New jobs will consist of a mixture of professional and support staff. Geldards is also planning to recruit a number of graduate trainees as well as experienced lawyers in order to develop the service offering to clients.

MLP Law announces senior appointments

North West-based MLP Law has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of two senior staff members. Following a period of growth, Richard Holmes joins from Freeths to lead the property department, while Steve Hartley has been appointed from Pearson Solicitors to head up the corporate and commercial team.

DLA Piper builds finance team

DLA Piper has continued to build its financial markets practice with the appointments of Vincent Keaveny, formerly a partner at Baker & McKenzie, and Mark Dwyer, formerly a partner at Slaughter and May.

The firm has made other significant hires across Europe this year including Okko Behrends, who joined the team in Germany from Latham & Watkins in November, and Luciano Morello, who joined the firm in Italy from Hogan Lovells in September.

DLA has also appointed Paul Reeskamp as a partner in its intellectual property and technology group. Reeskamp joins the firm with associate Marijn van der Wal from top tier Dutch IP boutique, Klos Morel Vos & Reeskamp. Prior to that, he was a partner at Allen & Overy.

Kennedys expands in Scandinavia

Kennedys has further expanded its international reach through agreements with three Scandinavian firms. A merge with Danish firm Advokatfirmaet Erritzøe and associations with Norwegian firm Kogstad Lunde & Co, and Swedish firm Advokatfirman NorelidHolm will widen its European reach.

Erritzøe, a four-partner, 12-lawyer firm in Copenhagen, becomes a full Kennedys office and will be led by senior partner Morten Erritzøe Christensen. Founded in 2005 by Morten and Jesper Ravn, the firm was later joined by partners Thomas Dall Jensen and Allan Kvist-Kristensen.

Kogstad Lunde & Co, a six-partner, ten-lawyer firm in Oslo, becomes an associate office. Having worked together since 1995, its founding partners, Eivind Kogstad and Trond Werner Lunde, both have insurance-sector backgrounds.

NorelidHolm, a two-partner, eight-lawyer firm in Stockholm was established in 2005 by its founding partners, Christer A Holm and Susanna Norelid.

Bevan Brittan ups Leeds partner count to seven

Bevan Brittan has lured three more partners to its Leeds office, bringing the total number of new partners to seven. Joining the firm's housing practice are Hugo Stephens and Richard Stirk. They were both previously partners at DWF. Joining the firm's property practice is Deborah Powell who arrives from Simpson Millar where she was head of commercial property.

New regional senior partner at DAC

DAC Beachcroft has appointed Michael Peeters as its new regional senior partner for Leeds. Peeters takes over in the role from predecessor, Virginia Clegg, who became DAC Beachcroft's senior partner on 1 November 2015.

GQ Employment Law acquires Camfords

GQ Employment Law has acquired boutique employment law firm Camfords. The acquisition, which will take effect on 4 January 2016, follows the recent hires of partner Dan Pollard and associates Natasha Adom and Raoul Parekh from Macfarlanes, Clyde & Co, and Baker & McKenzie respectively.

New partner for Carter Lemon Camerons

Carter Lemon Camerons has announced that Kate Boguslawska has joined the City of London firm's company commercial team as a partner after heading up the employment department at Saunders Law.