RBS Insurance (RBSI) has turned to RSA Insurance for its new general counsel and company secretary.

RSA's group legal director, Humphrey Tomlinson, is set to join RBSI, where he will be tasked with building the Bromley-based insurer's standalone legal and secretariat functions ahead of its divestment from RBS Group.

Tomlinson has more than 20 years' experience advising on corporate and commercial matters, legal risk management and corporate governance issues. He joined RSA Insurance in 1997, having previously worked in private practice at Ashurst.

Earlier this year he lead a review of RSA's external roster of legal advisers, which saw Linklaters and Norton Rose winning first time appointments alongside existing panel firms Allen & Overy, Slaughter and May and Ashurst.

RBSI is the second largest general insurer in the UK. It is set to be sold by RBS before the end of 2013 as part of an agreement with the Government over key terms of its participation in the Asset Protection Scheme.

RBSI finance director John Reizenstein said: "[Tomlinson] is an experienced transactional lawyer with high technical ability and wide experience."

Separately, RSA has promoted legal counsel Charlotte Heiss to head of group legal in its corporate centre.

Heiss, who will take up the role on 1 November, joined RSA in February 2010 as legal counsel from Linklaters, where she was a managing associate in the corporate department.

Group general counsel Derek Walsh commented: "I am very pleased we have the internal talent to be able to fill such an important role."