Baker & McKenzie has appointed its first general counsel in London, naming Jonathan Westwell in the role.

The new position took effect from 1 December, with Westwell moving from the firm’s IT and telecommunications practice to take up the combined general counsel and partnership secretary role. Westwell was previously a senior associate with Bakers, having joined the London office in 2000, going on to spend two years in the firm’s Sydney office between 2003 and 2005.