EDF Energy is seeking a new general counsel following the resignation of legal chief Jean MacDonald.

MacDonald is set to leave the company this summer after two years at the helm, having taken up the GC role at EDF when the French company purchased British Energy in 2008.

EDF finalised the restructuring of its UK legal function in September 2009 in the wake of the £12.5bn takeover.

MacDonald headed up the overhaul, which saw the combined legal teams split across five different functions – corporate, energy sourcing and customer supply, networks, governance and secretariat, and nuclear.

Toby Moreton has been named head of the corporate legal team, while Karen Lawrie leads the energy sourcing and customer supply group, Christopher Baker heads up the networks team and Joe Souto leads the governance group.

The head of the nuclear team is yet to be decided.

The British Energy takeover saw Herbert Smith take the lead corporate role for EDF, while Clifford Chance (CC) acted for British Energy.

CC followed the deal with a lead role on the joint venture between RWE npower and E.ON in November 2009 that is set to see the development of the next generation of nuclear power stations in the UK.