Drinks giant InBev has announced that Western Europe general counsel Deepak Malhotra is to lead its global corporate legal team as an extension of his current role.

Malhotra will head up a combined legal team of 80 lawyers and support staff, although the two departments will remain separate. He takes on the role from Miren Aguirre, who has left the company.

Two new functions – M&A and employment – will be added to the existing corporate legal remit of intellectual property and competition. InBev is now looking to recruit two legal heads to run the new teams.

Candidates from the company's internal 'training academy'- a three-year scheme designed to develop the skills of its most talented lawyers – are among the front-runners for the new roles.

Malhotra told Legal Week: "What is really exciting about the [global corporate] role is bringing the two functions closer together, sharing best practice and maximising the potential of our external legal counsel."