The Body Shop loses top in-house lawyer

The Body Shop's in-house team has lost one of its senior lawyers but has responded by poaching another from a US corporation.

Former general manager of the legal department Tom Schull has left to return to his native US. He is not understood to have secured another position.

A Body Shop spokesman comments: "Tom has worked here for a number of years and he has decided he wants to return to the US whence he came."

He adds that no-one will be recruited in to specifically fill Schull's role.

But the retailer has already recruited another practitioner into the department.

John Burchill joins the company as a senior commercial lawyer. He was previously based at the European headquarters of US multinational Eaton Corporation.

His appointment is in line with The Body Shop's plans, announced last year, to restructure its legal department to focus more on corporate needs.

The entire department, which includes a team of four lawyers, is led by legal director and board member Jane Reid.