News Corporation has parted ways with legal adviser Farrer & Co and appointed Olswang to advise it on all civil claims relating to phone-hacking at the News of the World (NoW).

Farrers has been the primary adviser to the now-defunct tabloid throughout the phone-hacking scandal, and is understood to have advised on more than 60 cases taken out by alleged victims.

Olswang will now take over as the main adviser for News Group Newspapers (NGN) on all civil claims against the NoW, while also taking responsibility for the implementation of the £20m compensation fund for phone-hacking victims set up by the publisher earlier this year.

Olswang will also continue to advise News International as it draws up a new code of practice, a mandate which was announced in July this year.

In a statement released on Friday (14 October), News International said: "News Corporation's management and standards committee and solicitors Farrer & Co have mutually agreed that Farrers will stand down from representing NGN in current or future civil litigation related to victims in NoW phone-hacking cases with immediate effect."

The news comes as Farrers contentious media head Julian Pike prepares to face the Parliamentary committee investigating phone-hacking later this week (19 October).

The Culture, Media and Sport committee chair John Whittingdale called on Farrers and Taylor Hampton Solicitors' Mark Lewis – who has acted for a number of phone-hacking victims – to give evidence last month.

The committee also confirmed that it will recall News International chairman James Murdoch, following apparently conflicting accounts given of investigations regarding alleged phone-hacking at the newspaper group. Murdoch is being advised by Clifford Chance.

For more, see Hackgate committee recalls Farrers and Mark Lewis; Links letter released.