Mondial appointment boosts legal team

Mondial Assistance has taken on another in-house lawyer as part of the on-going expansion of its legal services.

The department, which has grown from one to eight lawyers in two years, has recruited Nicole Clark from Southampton firm Woodford Ackroyd.

Clark will take charge of Mondial's uninsured loss recovery legal work.

The legal department was originally set up about four years ago to fulfil the needs of motorists protected by motor manufacturers' emergency assistance schemes.

But the service has since been extended to other clients including insurance companies which provide the benefits as part of their cover.

The main growth areas have been uninsured loss recovery and legal advice lines. The dep-artment also provides legal protection for customers' families covering personal injury, consumer problems and employment work.

Norwich Union's new head of legal will be Graham Jones who will take up the post in December.

Jones, currently head of group legal services at Royal Insurance, has been appointed as group legal manager and secretary.

Prior to his spell with Royal Insurance, which he joined at the start of 1993, he was senior commercial solicitor with Abbey National.

Jones has held other in-house posts with Texaco and Associated British Foods, but he did his articles in private practice.

He takes over at Norwich Union from John Flynn, senior lawyer since 1987, who has retired. The insurers' legal department comprises nearly 40 solicitors and about 15 legal executives. The staff are spread out across several departments including litigation, life assurance property, mortgage-related work and group matters.