Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) Jeremy Barton has been appointed the new UK general counsel (GC) at KPMG following the departure of longstanding GC Vanessa Sharp in May.
Barton, who is currently responsible for all legal and compliance matters within BCG and leads a team of lawyers in the US and Europe, will join the Big Four accountancy firm in December. He has previously had in-house roles at Andersen and EY.
At KPMG he will be supported by a small team of eight in the central legal function who are responsible for a mixture of corporate commercial work, intellectual property and technology as well as treasury, pensions and insurance work.
Barton will also look after a mix of lawyers and non-lawyers in the company’s contract unit team that deal with all client related matters, as well as KPMG’s practice protection team, which handles investigations and claims.
The central legal team at KPMG includes deputy GC Neil Barnicoat, who has been acting GC since May, and several assistant GCs, including Misha Patel, Natasha Doulia, Laura Mavely and Ian Dunn.
Prior to becoming GC at BCG, Barton spent ten years at Andersen as European and deputy GC and also held the global GC role at Ernst & Young.
Sharp, who retired from the GC role at KPMG after 18 years, was instrumental in building the UK role and legal team, as well as leading the KPMG European merger in 2007 before becoming the company’s first GC for the UK and Europe. She is currently a consultant at law firm Stephenson Harwood, and is assisting the firm with its client development programme.
A spokesperson from BCG said in a statement: ‘Jeremy has been an important part of BCG and has made a significant contribution to the firm; we wish him the very best for his future. We are currently in the process of recruiting his successor.’
kathryn.mccann@legalease.co.uk
