Thirty Nine Essex Street's Robert Jay QC is joining Lord Justice Leveson to advise on the public inquiry into alleged wrongdoing at now-defunct Sunday tabloid, the News of the World (NoW), as well as the wider issue of press regulation.

The Cabinet Office confirmed Jay's appointment as counsel to the inquiry earlier today (29 July), with the Government also confirming the appointment of Ministry of Justice (MoJ) director general Rowena Collins Rice, who qualified as a solicitor in 1995, as inquiry secretary.

Jay (pictured), who was called to the Bar in 1981 and took silk in 1998, practices administrative and public law and professional discipline and regulatory law.

Further appointments to the inquiry committee are expected in early August, with work expected to commence after the summer.

News of Jay's appointment comes as Arnold & Porter became the latest firm to secure an advisory mandate on the continued fallout at News International and parent company News Corporation.

The US firm's London office has been retained by News Corp's management and standards committee (MSC), the independent committee charged with leading the company's response to the wider hacking claims.

Former SFO fraud chief Kathleen Harris will lead the team advising the MSC from Arnold & Porter's white collar criminal defence group.

Harris, who has held in-house positions within government departments including HM Revenue & Customs and the Department of Work and Pensions, will assist the committee on the phone hacking case, police payments investigation and other relevant connected issues at News International.

Arnold & Porter's appointment comes after Linklaters was last week appointed to advise the MSC, which is chaired by Lord Grabiner.

A raft of law firms have been drawn into the matter, with firms including Olswang and Carter-Ruck among those advising either News International or victims of phone hacking, while US firms to secure roles include Debevoise & Plimpton and Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison.

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