Former Irwin Mitchell senior partner and chairman Michael Napier QC has joined the growing ranks at Harbour Litigation Funding after retiring from his former firm this April.

Napier is joining the third-party litigation funder's investment and advisory team as a consultant. The team already includes former High Court Judge Sir Gavin Lightman, Wragge & Co's former London managing partner Nicola Mumford and leading insolvency barrister Stephen Davies QC.

Napier, who spent 40 years at Irwin Mitchell – 29 of them as senior partner – retired at the end of April following a management overhaul ahead of the firm's planned conversion to an alternative business structure.

Just before stepping down, Napier – who is also a former Law Society president – was invited by the Civil Justice Council to lead a panel of advisers tasked with exploring issues surrounding changes to contingency fees and damage-based agreements.

Napier, who was made an honorary QC in 2006, said of his new role: "Harbour is at the forefront of third-party litigation funding which is now a well-established and increasingly important route for solicitors and their clients. So, with massive changes to the funding of access to justice only months away I'm happy to become a consultant to the Harbour team at this crucial time for responding to the funding needs of litigants."

Harbour's head of litigation funding Susan Dunn commented: "A brilliant and influential legal mind who shares Harbour's views on the access to justice that funding can bring to cases and our interest in securing the best possible result for claimants, Michael is an excellent addition to our team."