The Postal Services Commission (Postcomm) has appointed a Simmons & Simmons partner to take on the role of legal director at the regulatory body.

The unusual appointment sees Simmons City competition partner Jenny Block act as Postcomm legal director while also remaining a partner at Simmons, working part-time on her usual client work.

Block has held the title since January this year after the previous legal director left at the end of last year, although Postcomm declined to comment on her exact role.

Postcomm, the independent regulator for the postal market, was established as a non-ministerial government department by the Postal Services Act 2000. Its main tasks include regulating the Royal Mail and licensing other postal operators.

While Postcomm's website lists all of its six directors – including Block – as full-time civil servants, Postcomm says this is out of date. Both Postcomm and Simmons both confirmed to Legal Week that Block is on a part-time secondment with the client, but have declined to say for how long..

Simmons cited client confidentiality as its reason for being unable to comment and referred all enquiries to Postcomm. Postcomm also declined to supply information or comment on the arrangement.

The appointment raises questions including what measures Simmons has taken to avoid conflicts arising from one of its partners having insight in an independent regulator's work.

Simmons has previously worked with other clients in the postal services sector, including Royal Mail competitor TNT Post, which was advised by the UK top 20 firm's Amsterdam office.

Simmons also declined to confirm whether it has been required to make arrangements to avoid potential conflicts – such as Chinese walls – or whether it is still able to take on work for clients within the sector.

One senior in-house lawyer for a postal services operator commented: "I can see how conflict issues could be raised, but from my perspective I welcome the public sector bringing in good people from the private sector with valuable knowledge instead of bringing in a new lawyer with no background in the business."