Mayer Brown litigation partner Clare Canning is leaving the firm to become global general counsel at Ernst & Young.

The appointment, which takes effect on 10 October, comes as current global GC Trevor Faure – who joined the accountancy giant in 2009 from manufacturing group Tyco, where he was EMEA GC – has been handed the role of global leader, legal services sector.

In this new role, Faure will head up the global team providing services to the legal services sector, and will support Ernst & Young's business development of major law firm and legal department clients.

Canning, whose experience includes financial services, professional negligence and reinsurance, joined Mayer Brown in 2007 from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert, where she was head of commercial litigation. She moved to the US firm alongside a team including fellow litigators Simon Willis and Matthew Lawson.

She is best-known for leading Barlows' successful defence of Ernst & Young in the four-year Equitable Life litigation, in which the insurer sought to secure £4bn for policyholders. Equitable dropped its claims in 2005 without achieving any compensation, with the case running up legal costs in excess of £30m.

Canning commented: "After 20 years in private practice, I welcome the exciting challenges that this new role will bring. Having been an adviser to the organisation for many years, it will be interesting to see what it's like on the other side of the fence. Among other things I am really looking forward to working alongside Ernst & Young's strong team of lawyers worldwide."

Ernst & Young's global managing partner for quality and risk management, Victoria Cochrane, commented: "[Canning] is enormously experienced and well-respected across the global legal profession and will make a great contribution to our organisation.

"I am very pleased for Trevor that he is progressing to a new and challenging market-facing role that will suit his talents and experience so well."

Mayer Brown senior partner Sean Connolly added: "This is a tremendous achievement and one that is very well deserved. We offer Clare our best wishes for continued success."

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