News UK has appointed Kingsley Napley partner Angus McBride as its new general counsel, replacing current legal head Emma Moloney who is leaving this month.
McBride was the lead solicitor for News UK CEO Rebekah Brooks during the phone hacking trial in 2013/14 and saw her acquitted of the charges in June 2014 before being reinstated at the company.
The appointment sees McBride take on his first in-house role, having been a partner at Kingsley Napley since 1999. In the position, McBride will oversee all legal activity and compliance for another of publications such as The Times and The Sun.
Last May, News UK promoted deputy general counsel Emma Moloney to head of legal after the death of Paul Chinnery. She had been interim general counsel since September 2014 after Chinnery died following a battle with cancer.
Moloney is set to leave the company at the end of this month, with McBride taking up his new role in April.
Last autumn, Lawyer 2B ran an extensive interview with McBride. Read his thoughts on Rebekah Brooks, the hacking trial and tabloid culture here.