SocGen looks within to find new GC for the Americas

Société Générale's (SecGen) corporate and investment banking arm has appointed a new general counsel for the Americas (SG Americas), promoting internally for the role.

SocGen, which is currently embroiled in a dispute with Jérôme Kerviel after the trader lost e4.9bn (£3.66bn), moved Steven Heineman into the corporate banking general counsel role for the Americas.

Heineman was the director of litigation and regulatory affairs at SG Americas and will take over as general counsel from Mark Kaplan, who was appointed chief administrative officer for the group's US arm.

As general counsel, Heineman will have overall responsibility for the bank's legal and compliance departments, as well as sitting on the US management committee. He will report to group general counsel Gerard Gardella and SG Americas CEO Diony Lebot.

Heineman joined SG Americas in 2002 from the litigation department of Debevoise & Plimpton. Before that Heineman served as an assistant US attorney in New York, specialising in white-collar crime.

SG Americas is one of the biggest foreign banks in the US, employing 3,000 people in more than 10 cities.