Barlow Lyde & Gilbert has been added to the claims panel of insurance giant Chartis following its takeover of the bulk of Halliwells' Manchester insurance arm, with the insurer also in the process of reviewing its non-claims legal panel.

Barlows was added to the insurer's roster of firms for claims work last month, adding Chartis to the list of high-profile clients it has secured as a result of its July takeover of the Halliwells team. The firm has also retained work from AXA and NFU Mutual through the takeover, with Halliwells' insurance clients representing a major driver for the acquisition.

A spokesperson for Chartis said: "We conducted a review of our solicitor panel following the issue with Halliwells that arose earlier this year. We have now included Barlows on our panel. Predominantly, their instructions will be built around complex and/or catastrophic injury cases."

Chartis also confirmed that it is currently undergoing a review of its non-claims panel, with the roster expected to be finalised by the end of the year.

The insurance company is also in the process of appointing first-time legal heads for a number of its regions including Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.

Former UK head of legal Christopher Newby has been appointed as the new general counsel for Europe, with Neil Braakenburg replacing him. The remaining appointments are still to be confirmed.

Chartis rebranded in the UK last year, having previously been known as a division of American International Group (AIG).