Avanti Communications Group has appointed Patrick Willcocks to the newly created role of general counsel. Willcocks joins the broadband satellite company from Electronic Data Systems, where he was a senior attorney responsible for the negotiation of outsourcing contracts with the UK Government and commercial organisations. Most recently he worked on a $1bn (£680m) data centre outsourcing deal with Aviva. Avanti chief executive David Williams said that as general counsel Willcocks will be responsible for negotiating, approving and monitoring the legal performance of all contracts, managing employment law issues, and litigation.