Australian airline group Qantas has turned to Sydney firm Allens for its new general counsel after longstanding legal head Brett Johnson announced his intention to retire.

Allens corporate partner Andrew Finch is set to join the airline in November to take up the general counsel role. He has been a partner at the Australian firm for more than a decade and counts Qantas among his major clients.

Johnson, who will retire as general counsel in October, had held the role for more than 17 years. He will remain a consultant at the airline and will assist in the handover to Finch.

In 2008 Finch led the team advising Qantas on negotiations over its proposed – but later abandoned – merger with British Airways. SJ Berwin was appointed to advise Qantas in the UK, with Slaughter and May reprising its regular role for British Airways alongside US firm Sullivan & Cromwell.

Finch also advised Qantas on the 2006 A$11.1bn (£7.4bn) bid by a Texas Pacific Group-led consortium to acquire the airline.

Johnson said: "Being general counsel of this great Australian icon has been an honour and I have enjoyed working with all Qantas employees, particularly the great professionals within Qantas Legal."

Earlier this year Allens sealed an alliance with magic circle firm Linklaters, creating a joint venture in Asia focusing on energy, resources and infrastructure projects work, and a separate partnership in Indonesia that involves a shared profit pool. The deal saw the Sydney firm rebrand from its former identity of Allens Arthur Robinson.