Offshore firm Ogier has sealed the hire of former Lovells managing partner Lesley MacDonagh as a non-executive director.

MacDonagh is one of two new non-exec directors appointed by the firm in a bid to strengthen its legal and fiduciary services businesses.

She joins alongside John Eaton, the former chief operating officer of the private client and international banking business of Barclays Bank. The duo will work alongside existing non-exec directors John Stares, who sits on Ogier's group board, and Jeremy Arnold, who chairs the firm's audit and risk committee.

MacDonagh was managing partner at Lovells between 1995 and April 2005, when she was succeeded by David Harris. Under her leadership the firm secured a string of mergers, including sizeable deals in Germany, France and the Netherlands, while she was also at the helm when Lovells announced a 25-partner cull to boost profitability in December 2004.

After retiring from the partnership in 2006, MacDonagh remained at the firm until 2007, handling partnership planning, training and development. She subsequently joined FTSE 100 real estate company Slough Estates as a non-executive director in 2006 and became a non-exec at Segro on 1 January 2007.

Ogier group chief executive Nick Kershaw said: "We are delighted to have secured the services of such senior professionals to further strengthen our management team.

"Ogier has enjoyed substantial growth in recent years and Lesley and John's knowledge and guidance will help support continued future expansion of the business, both through continued growth of our existing businesses and by taking advantage of market opportunities."