Former Nabarro senior partner Simon Johnston has taken up a new role as deputy chairman at UK designer outlet group McArthurGlen.

The position, which is a newly created executive post, has seen Johnston leave Nabarro to join McArthurGlen's London office. He started in the role last week after stepping down as Nabarro senior partner at the end of last year.

McArthurGlen is a longstanding client of Johnston, who advised on its set-up in 1993, ahead of the launch of the company's first outlet, Cheshire Oaks, in 1995.

Johnston also acted for the company on its initial retail development joint venture with BAA, now known as Heathrow Airport Holdings, providing advice on the development financing of new outlet centres in France, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands.

Johnston, who joined Nabarro in 1986, was the firm's senior partner from 2001 to 2012. During his stint at the firm he also spent two years in New York as the firm's US representative partner. He currently also sits on the board at non-profit London First.

McArthurGlen chairman JW Kaempfer said: "Simon's professional experience and wisdom, and his long relationship with our company, will be pivotal in leading McArthurGlen into a new period of growth; this is in terms of not only the amount of retail space that we operate, and the number of centres, but also the McArthurGlen brand itself and the quality of the shopping experience that we offer our nearly 100 million customers annually."

McArthurGlen currently has 21 designer outlets in eight countries across Europe, with a further launch in Vancouver scheduled for late 2014.

Last year Nabarro elected corporate partner Graham Stedman as Johnston's successor as senior partner.