FIRST-TIME GC FOR BRITISH LAND
Property developer British Land has hired HSBC deputy company secretary and former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner Elaine Williams as its first general counsel. Williams, who was a partner at Freshfields between 2000 and 2011 before joining HSBC in 2011, will become British Land’s first ever general counsel when she starts in November.
NETWORK RAIL LEGAL CHIEF STEPS DOWN
After almost ten years of service as corporate legal chief at Network Rail, Natalie Jobling is standing down. Jobling had helped restructure the legal team and guided the rail organisation’s transition from an independent company to public ownership. No replacement had been announced at press time.
US CLASS ACTION BOUTIQUE OPENS IN CITY
Former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer competition litigation lawyer Belinda Hollway will head up Scott + Scott’s London offering, as the US firm anticipates a boom in competition-based disputes. The Connecticut-based litigation boutique said it expected a significant flow of cases from the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which took effect this month.