HBOS head of legal Harry Baines has been promoted to the banking giant's board and taken on the new role of group counsel.

Baines became a member of the FTSE 100 bank's executive committee in March having previously attended board meetings as company secretary.

Baines joined Halifax as company secretary in 1999 and took on the same role in September 2001 after the merger with Bank of Scotland that created HBOS. Before joining Halifax, Baines spent four years as group legal adviser and company secretary for vehicle parts maker Turner & Newall.

HBOS is the UK's largest mortgage and savings provider with 72,000 employees and a turnover of £18bn.

The news comes as an increasing number of general counsel believe they should be taking seats in the boardroom. A poll of senior in-house lawyers carried out by Legal Week last month found two-thirds of respondents arguing that the general counsel should sit on the board, although 70% said this was not currently the case at their company.

In April, Ernst & Young general counsel Victoria Cochrane was promoted to the accounting giant's UK board by incoming chairman Mark Otty and was given a wider brief that saw her take on responsibility for quality and risk management both in the UK and internationally.