Barclays’ risk and regulatory compliance head Nick Kynoch has become the latest legal chief to leave the bank, following his appointment as general counsel of New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority (FMA).

His new role as the FMA’s legal head sees Kynoch move back to New Zealand from London, having attended the University of Canterbury in Christchurch in 1992. 

Kynoch, who has been based in the City for the past 14 years, has been Barclays’ head of conduct risk and contentious regulatory compliance since October 2013, following a brief six-month spell as the bank’s EMEA head of regulatory compliance. 

His departure from Barclays follows a wave of exits from its in-house team, including deputy GC Michael Shaw, EMEA investment head Erica Handling and Barclays Capital GC Judith Shepherd. 

Barclays’ head of M&A Khasruz Zaman also left the bank to join Simmons & Simmons, while its managing director of litigation and investigations Jonathan Peddie left for Baker & McKenzie. 

In July, Lloyds Bank additionally hired Barclays’ corporate banking GC Joanna Carver to form part of Linklaters’ Simon Davies’ new team. 

Kynoch’s appointment at the New Zealand regulator forms part of the its newly-implemented leadership structure. The role, which he will take up from the start of next year, will see him work alongside director of regulation Liam Mason. 

In private practice, Kynoch has previously been a partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, joining the firm from Mayer Brown in 2011.