The drift of senior lawyers to top flight management jobs outside the profession has continued with the appointment of Osborne Clarke corporate partner Jeremy Simon to the board of Prism Rail.

Prism is one of the few privatised rail companies quoted on the London Stock Exchange.

Simon will handle the development of corporate services, including possible expansion of the company.

A former head of corporate at Osbornes, he has been an equity partner at the firm for the last 11 years.

Senior partner Leslie Perrin said he was “terribly sad” to be losing Simon but he pointed out that Prism is one of the firm's leading clients. “We look forward to continuing our excellent relationship with Prism,” Perrin added.

He said Osbornes, with offices in Bristol and London, had been growing rapidly in recent years and had stewarded 10 flotations on the Alternative Investment Market over the last 12 months.

Simon joins several top lawyers who have recently left firms to seek their fortunes outside the profession.

Slaughter and May's high-flier Tim Freshwater left to join the Jardine Flemming group of companies in Hong Kong where he is in charge of management strategy.

Mark Harding left Clifford Chance to become vice-president of Swiss banking giant UBS and Jim Watkins quit Linklaters & Paines to join shipping and hotels company Trafalgar House.