Rolls-Royce has promoted its head of legal Mark Gregory to the role of general counsel, with former legal chief Robert Webb QC set to rejoin Brick Court Chambers as an arbitrator.
Gregory joined the FTSE 100 company in 2005 and was promoted from deputy legal head to head of legal at the start of this year after Nigel Goldsworthy’s departure. Before going in-house, he trained and practised at legacy Lovells in both London and Hong Kong.
The appointment was made following Robert Webb’s retirement from Rolls Royce. A spokesperson for the company said the former GC is due to leave the company at the end of the year but added he would “remain in an advisory role”.
From the start of 2016, Webb will return to Brick Court Chambers as an arbitrator, with a specialism in aviation law.
Webb joined the FTSE 100 manufacturing company from Brick Court in 2012, having taken up tenancy at the chambers in 2009. Prior to this, he led the legal team of British Airways from 1998 and was head of chambers at aviation set 5 Bell Yard.
Gregory’s promotion to general counsel means the company does not currently have a head of legal. Across the globe, Rolls-Royce has 68 in-house lawyers, with 26 in the UK, 24 in the Americas, 15 in Europe and three in Asia-Pacific.
Rolls-Royce is currently instructing Slaughter and May as principal adviser on the Serious Fraud Office’s (SFO) probe into allegations of bribery and corruption at the company.
Slaughters is working alongside Debevoise & Plimpton, which was instructed by the aerospace and defence brand when claims of malpractice first surfaced in 2012.
