The Transfer Window is a round-up of recent legal moves in the UK and abroad

Simmons & Simmons has signed up Osborne Clarke (OC) corporate partner Patrick Graves for its Bristol office. He joined OC as a partner in 1997 from Bevan Ashford, which demerged in 2004 to form Ashfords and Bevan Brittan. Graves specialises in equity capital markets.

His move marks the fourth partner appointment at Simmons' Bristol arm in the past two months, following the hires of DAC Beachcroft partner Jocelyn Ormond last month and Burges Salmon funds partner Mahrie Webb and DLA Piper ICT partner Hinal Patel in May.

Graves rejoins former OC partners Tim Boyce and Ed Crosse at Simmons' Bristol arm, which offers an alternative low-cost option for UK clients. The litigation duo were hired in 2012.

Brown Rudnick has sealed the hire of Speechly Bircham head of techology and intellectual property (IP) Alex Carter-Silk, appointing him as its new head of European IP.

Carter-Silk joined Speechly in 2006 from Manches, which was acquired by rival Penningtons in a pre-pack deal to form Penningtons Manches.

Carter-Silk will work closely with global IP chief Thomas Myers and join counsel Steven James in the City to grow the European practice. His clients include insurance group AIG, insurer Beazley, Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson, luxury goods company Richemont, luxury footwear brand Gina Shoes, UK software developer World Programming Limited and specialist underwriting agency CFC.

Addleshaw Goddard has made a promotion outside of its annual round, adding Manchester-based managing associate Vicky Niescier to its real estate partnership.

Niescer was initially a candidate for the firm's 2015 promotions round. Addleshaws senior partner Monica Burch has said that her promotion was accelerated by partner exits in recent months. These include the departures of a real estate partner trio, led by Manchester practice head Mark Haywood, to Nabarro in May. Niescer's promotion will bring the firm's total real estate partner count to 29.

Eversheds in South Africa has moved to boost its IP group with the hire of lawyer Sara-Jane Pluke as a partner and head of intellectual property in the region.

Pluke was managing partner of three-lawyer boutique SJ Pluke Attorneys before it integrated with Eversheds South Africa in May. Her team has followed Pluke to take up roles as IP associates.

The Paris office of Norton Rose Fulbright has hired Holman Fenwick & Willan banking partner Janet Butterworth, who joins with two lawyers. She is re-joining Norton Rose after a stint as an associate for its corporate team between 1994 and 2003.

In the meantime Norton Rose has also appointed legacy Fulbright & Jaworski partner Lauren Leeker as its new global head of compliance, replacing London-based postholder Jonathan Ody.

Leeker, who splits her time between Washington and Houston, will oversee the operation of the firm's global conflicts regime and risk management practice, and lead the global compliance function. Ody, who held the role for nine years, will head up the compliance group across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

In Madrid Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has expanded its offering with the appointment of Eduardo Gomez de Enterria as office head of employment. De Enterria has joined HSF from local boutique Sagardoy Abogados.

De Enterria advises on corporate restructuring processes for Spanish companies and international companies with subsidiaries in the country, as well as Spanish companies with operations in Latin America.

DWF has recruited DLA Piper business restructuring director Finella Fogarty as a partner in London.

Fogarty specialises in advising banks, insolvency practitioners, corporates and individuals on restructuring and turnaround situations. She advises on matters including trading administrations, bankruptcy and receiverships and fraud and syndicated restructures.

White & Case has hired Milan-based Linklaters managing associate Paul Alexander as a local partner, in a bid to build its UK and Italian capital markets practices. Alexander is English law qualified and is regularly involved in debt, equity and equity-linked deals.

Mills and Reeve has recruited Squire Sanders associate Clare Grice as its new head of pensions. Grice, who joins the firm as a partner, will be based in Birmingham. She advises trustee boards on occupational pension schemes, as well as corporate sponsors.