* Bruce Houlder, QC, is to head a new prosecution service being set up for the Armed Services. The senior criminal barrister, of 6 King’s Bench Walk, will take up the post of director of MoD Service Prosecutions in May.

The appointment lays the groundwork for next year’s launch of a combined Armed Forces prosecution service, as laid out in the Armed Forces Act 2006.

“I look forward to working with the professional lawyers from all three Services, and to the delivery of fair and robust prosecutions in which the Armed Forces and all citizens can have confidence," he said.

Houlder was called to the Bar in 1969 and took silk in 1994 having carved out a successful career as prosecution and defence counsel in cases of serious crime, including fraud.

He has also been an extremely active participant in the Bar’s representational activities, having held numerous posts within the Bar Council, including membership of its general management committee. He was chairman of the Criminal Bar Association from 2001 to 2003.

* Fiona Fitzgerald, a partner at Colemans-ctts Solicitors, has become chairwoman of the Association of Women Solicitors.

Her appointment to head the group that has more than 17,000 members was announced at its annual general meeting on March 13.

She has pledged to make the issue of equal pay a focus during her tenure. “Women are entering the legal profession at an unprecedented level,” she said. “What is hard to understand is why women are on average paid less than males from trainees to partners. One of the questions I am constantly asked is why is there a need for an association such as ours. Part of that answer is that women continue to be paid less than men.”

Among the services offered by the AWS, which is in its 85th year, are mentoring schemes, courses and employment advice.

* Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has hired Maurice Allen and Mike Goetz, the co-heads of White & Case’s London banking and capital markets group.

The move is a highly unusual one for Freshfields, which rarely hires partners from other firms in London.

It also represents something of a homecoming for Allen as he was one of the first partners of the "magic circle" firm to join a US firm, having originally left Clifford Chance in order to set up Weil Gotshal & Manges’ London office. Allen subsequently joined White & Case in 2000 after a dispute with Weil Gotshal over strategy. Goetz joined White & Case’s New York office in 1986 and moved to London eight years ago.

Perry Nobel, joint head of Freshfields’ global finance group, said: “Maurice and Mike are well regarded in the market as top quality practitioners and dedicated client lawyers and we are delighted that they will be joining our firm.”

* Sir Gavin Lightman, the former High Court judge, has become a consultant at FoxMandal Little, a leading Indian law firm.

The appointment comes hard on the heels of the unveiling by FoxMandal of a London office.

Lightman, who stepped down from the Chancery Division in January, will provide consultancy and arbitration advice and help to train FoxMandal’s own lawyers.

Lightman was called to the Bar in 1964 and joined the High Court bench after 30 years of practising at the Bar. He has kept himself busy since standing down. He is Treasurer of Lincoln’s Inn and has joined Serle Court chambers as a mediator and arbitrator.

To submit information for this column, please send an e-mail to legalmoves@thetimes.co.uk

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