SJ Berwin has recruited a new partner for its restructuring team, taking Baker & McKenzie partner Jeremy Goldring to bolster its practice.

Goldring is set to join the City firm next month as a partner, as the current head of reconstruction and insolvency Stephen Maffey returns to Australia. Goldring has spent around nine years with Bakers, joining from what is now DLA Piper, and has been managing the firm's UK and European restructuring practice. During his time at Bakers he has worked on restructurings of companies including car group MG Rover. He is currently advising parts supplier Dura on its ongoing insolvency. His hire takes SJ Berwin's London insolvency practice to two partners, excluding Maffey.

Goldring told Legal Week: "SJ Berwin has a strong European practice and the nature of its clients is more conducive to building a wider-based practice. SJ Berwin is well known for its funds and private equity work and that is where a lot of the work is likely to come from."

Maffey, who has worked at SJ Berwin for 13 years, is set to return to Australia for family reasons. He sits on the firm's strategy committee, which consists of senior partner Jonathan Blake, managing partner Ralph Cohen and an elected group of partners.

Cohen said: "Over 13 years as a partner Stephen has made a significant contribution to SJ Berwin's success, serving as a member of the firm's strategy committee and helping to steer us through a period of growth. With Jeremy on board we are confident we will continue to build this important practice area in the years ahead."

Meanwhile, SJ Berwin has unveiled its associate salaries for the coming year, with the firm's junior lawyers seeing rises of around 1.6% at the newly-qualified level.

Newly qualified lawyers at the City firm will now take home an extra £1,000, bringing annual salaries to £65,000. Lawyers with one year's post-qualification experience will receive an extra £2,000 this year with a lift to £70,000 – representing a 2.9% hike on last year's rate of £68,000.