McDonald's U.K. has appointed Della Burnside as its new general counsel and company secretary.
Burnside, who has been at the fast food giant since May 2007, has been promoted from her current role as U.K. head of legal services with immediate effect, reporting to chief financial officer Brian Mullins and international general counsel Chris Hammer.
As part of her new role Burnside will be responsible for legal issues surrounding key McDonald's business areas, including property, franchising, employment and intellectual property.
During her time at the company, Burnside has helped lead a revamp of the U.K. legal team, expanding the function by recruiting two lawyers and a paralegal.
Prior to joining McDonald's, Burnside spent more than three years in-house as head of legal at easyGroup, after working in private practice as an IP litigator for Osborne Clarke and in the London office of Chicago firm Altheimer & Grey, which dissolved in 2003.
The company has more than 40 lawyers in its legal team across Europe and a further 26 in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Africa. In the U.K. the restaurant has close links with Forsters, Wragge & Co, Shoosmiths and Trowers & Hamlins.
