Nick Olley, partner at Burges Salmon in Bristol, will take over as general counsel of the Department for Transport (Dft), where he will be in charge of a team of 80 lawyers.

Olley is currently chair of the firm's well-regarded transport sector group and for five years previously was head of the 50-strong commercial department. Burges Salmon partner Brioney Thomas, a highly-rated rail sector specialist will succeed Olley.

Since 1994 Olley has worked extensively on rail industry matters, initially on various aspects of the privatisation process and subsequently on a wide range of operational and regulatory issues.

He has advised the DfT on aspects of the government's 'High Level Output Specification' for 2009-14, including capacity enhancements delivered by National Express East Anglia, East Midlands Trains and London Midland, and on the procurement of new rolling stock.

"It is about as different a challenge within the transport and rail sector as I could get from being a partner in private practice, where you are involved once the franchise proposition has been determined," he said.

"At DfT I will be involved at the front end of policy and
in the setting of the framework for the industry."

Olley was recruited after an extensive recruitment process across the private sector. He succeeds Christopher Muttukumaru, who is retiring from the role, and will start in November 2013.