Virgin raids Slaughters to fill new role

Virgin Group has raided Slaughter and May to fill the newly created role of group general counsel.

Slaughters litigator Josh Bayliss is due to join Virgin Group next Monday (28 February). In his new role Bayliss will work alongside Virgin's senior directors, who advise on all operational and strategic matters for the Virgin Group worldwide.

Bayliss's appointment comes weeks after the shock departure of Virgin's group legal director Helena Samaha. As first reported in The Lawyer (7 February), Samaha quit after seven years to pursue other interests. Whoever fills the group legal director position, which is still vacant, will report to Bayliss.

The appointment will enable Virgin to consolidate the leadership of the group secretariat and the IP and legal departments, the heads of which will report directly to Bayliss.