Hertz lawyer steps into Jimmy Choo in-house role

Former Hertz in-house lawyer Hannah Merritt has scooped one of the most coveted jobs in the legal market.

Über-glamorous shoe designer Jimmy Choo has recruited Merritt to be its first in-house lawyer. The designer received a truckload of CVs from lawyers anxious to get a job with the fashion icon.

Merritt acknowledged the attraction of the famous shoes and the pull of a job in which she will lead the legal function. For now she is alone in the legal department, but the ambitious growth plans outlined by chief executive and part owner of the group Robert Bensoussan mean that it is unlikely to stay that way for long. The company’s turnover was around £30m last year, a figure it plans to double in the next two years.

Merritt joins Jimmy Choo after five years at Hertz. Prior to that she was at Scottish firm McClure Naismith.

Until now, Jimmy Choo has used Simmons & Simmons for its intellectual property work, a large chunk of the designer’s legal spend. Merritt reports to chief operating officer Alice Egan.