Exeter-based water and waste management company Pennon Group has ended its hunt for a new general counsel after appointing Helen Barrett-Hague to the position.
Barrett-Hague joins from chemicals and engineering company Alent, where she has been general counsel since January 2015. Before joining Alent Barrett-Hague spent six years at engineering software company Aveva.
Pennon’s search began when the group’s incumbent general counsel Kenneth Woodier announced he was retiring after 17 years in the role.
During his time leading the FTSE 250 company’s 26-strong legal team Woodier has avoided using legal panels and instead opted to hand work to individual lawyers on an ad hoc basis.
It is not yet known whether Barrett-Hague will continue to distribute work in this manner or choose to set up Pennon’s first legal panel.
Woodier joined Pennon in 1998 when the company was named South West Water. The listed company’s turnover now stands at £1.36bn.
According to data from The Lawyer Market Intelligence Pennon uses 10 law firms for its external advice. They are Allen & Overy, Ashfords, Bevan Brittan, BLM, Foot Anstey, Herbert Smith Freehills, Pinsent Masons, Simmons & Simmons, Watson Farley & Williams and Zyda Law.