Penningtons Manches announces six partner promotions for 2016

Posted: 07/04/2016

Penningtons Manches has announced six new partner and one associate director promotions with effect from 6 April 2016. This brings the total number of partners in the firm to 109.

The newly appointed partners and their practice areas are as follows: 

Stephanie Code - personal injury and clinical negligence

James d’Aquino – private client

Hazar El-Chamaa – immigration

Penny Evans (associate director) – immigration

Gavin Stenton – IP, IT and commercial

James Went – corporate

Gemma Woodhouse – employment.

Based in the Guildford office, Stephanie Code is a specialist in personal injury and clinical negligence claims, with a focus on maximum severity claims, particularly birth injury and those with complex or novel issues. She is the executive of the Society of Claimant Injury Lawyers (SCIL), and an APIL fellow. The Legal 500 describes her as being ‘vastly experienced’. 

James d’Aquino works from the firm’s London office and he advises high net worth individuals, families, trustees, banks and entrepreneurs on a broad range of domestic and international issues. He features in the 2015 eprivateclient ‘Top 35 Under 35’ list for young private client practitioners.

Hazar El-Chamaa has been a member of Penningtons Manches’ highly ranked immigration team for 10 years providing global immigration solutions to large multinational organisations and the higher education sector, as well as advising high net worth individuals. Hazar also gives training on all aspects of immigration law to the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA),the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) and BPP. 

Gavin Stenton is a trade marks specialist, based in the Oxford office. He provides strategic brand protection advice to brand owners ranging from multinational corporations and international organisations through to SMEs and private individuals. Gavin operates in a variety of sectors including fashion, drinks, retail, education, publishing, IT, biotech and professional services. 

A member of the Oxford corporate team, James Went advises on a wide range of corporate transactions and business issues, with substantial transactional and finance experience. He advises commercial organisations on business structures, company law, governance and regulatory issues, as well as charitable organisations. 

Gemma Woodhouse specialises in both contentious and non-contentious employment law, with a keen interest in all aspects of discrimination law. Based in the Basingstoke office, she regularly presents seminars internally and externally on a broad range of employment issues. She has been praised by Chambers UK for her ‘good tactical approach to dealing with HR issues’. 

Associate director, Penny Evans joined the London immigration team in 2009. She specialises in providing global immigration solutions to corporate and education clients with a particular focus on Tier 2 and Tier 4 of the points based system. She has experience of working in a variety of sectors, including retail, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and education. Penny liaises with Home Office policy teams to seek changes to the immigration rules. 

David Raine, chief executive of Penningtons Manches LLP, said: “We congratulate our new partners on their promotions and look forward to their continuing contribution to the growth and development of our firm. Their achievement is also a glowing testament to the success of our award-winning Potential Partner Programme, which aims to support and mentor senior associates who have shown the potential to be a partner or associate director.”

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