Chums on seats - Wikborg, Rein & Co

Wikborg, Rein & Co

WIKBORG, Rein & Co, the Norwegian international law firm headquartered in Oslo, has strengthened its team following the decision by three partners and other staff of Oslo law firm Gundersen & Co to join the firm. Senior partner Jon R Gundersen, partners Sven Eriksrud and Gunmar Meyer, and three associates and other staff will join Wikborg Rein early this year.

This year will also seen changes at the firm's other international offices. In London, partner Ketil E Bøe will return to Oslo after a three-year tenure. He will re-join the Oslo financing and securities law practice groups. In Japan, Per Magne Ristvedt will be replaced by senior maritime associate Gaute Gjelsten in March 2000.

Sinclair, Roche & Temperley

SINCLAIR, Roche & Temperley has appointed four new Romanian lawyers in its Bucharest office. Monica Bena joins as a senior lawyer specialising in banking, concessions and property. Ms Bena also lectures on banking law at the University of Bucharest. The team has also welcomed Anca Pop, Fabiola Tone and Luiza Burlacu as junior lawyers.

Sinclair, Roche & Temperley has also made two new appointments at its Shanghai office. Chen Zhensheng has joined as senior PRC legal consultant. In 1999, Adrian Clarke also joined the firm as the chief representative in Shanghai, where he has been based since 1997. He specialises in maritime law and handles all types of maritime and trade litigation.

Richards Butler

TWO further partners have joined the shipping group at Richards Butler in London, bringing the number of partners to seventeen. Philip Rymer was previously a senior assistant in the shipping group and specialises in ship finance. He qualified in 1992 and has concentrated on ship finance ever since, acting for lenders, lessors, owners and shipyards.

Nick Shaw, also formerly a senior assistant, specialises in dry shipping, in particular bills of lading and charter party disputes. After qualifying in 1992, Nick worked in the shipping and litigation department in Richards Butler's Hong Kong office, returning to London in 1994.

Fox, Rothschild, O'Brien & Frankel

KEITH A Onsdorff has joined Philadelphia-based law firm Fox, Rothschild, O'Brien & Frankel. Formerly a partner with Holland & Knight LLP in Washington, Keith has over 25 years' experience in environmental law and has defended corporate owners, ceos and top executives in federal, environmental and criminal prosecutions.

4 Essex Court

4 Essex Court has appointed six new barristers. John Michael Suttner SC is a commercial barrister who has practised at the South African bar since 1979 and has been a silk since 1994. Michael McParland , formerly of New Court Chambers and duel-qualified in the USA, is a specialist in international litigation, sports, media and commercial law, planning, local government and environment law. Nichola Warrender, also formerly of New Court Chambers, is practising in commercial, employment, professional negligence and travel law.

Chirag V Karia returns to the bar after nine years in practice in California. Peter Ferrer is practising in a number of areas of commercial law. Nicholas Craig, having completed his final session in chambers, begins practice in all areas of commercial and shipping law.

The Swedish Club

FRIEGHT, demurrage and defence (FD&D) specialist Tejpal Dhesi has joined the Swedish Club's London office. Tejpal joins the team with nearly a decade of experience in defence matters, in particular, charter party disputes and in-house arbitration work. Tejpal is a barrister. She served her pupillage at the Chambers of Anthony Clarke QC (4 Essex Court).