Linklaters has formed a new cross-disciplinary global legal team to address the growing risk, regulatory and governance challenges of its non-financial services clients.

The magic circle firm claims its "Operational Intelligence Group" (OIG) is the first example of a law firm combining regulatory risk, governance and compliance capabilities into one offering.

Co-headed by three London-based lawyers – global head of environment Vanessa Havard-Williams, litigation partner Satindar Dogra, and corporate partner Tom Shropshire (pictured) – the group will support clients on regulatory changes, investigations work and best practice governance and compliance.

The group will also be supported by a number of other partners, including global litigation chief Marc Harvey and New York-based international governance and international development head Lance Croffoot-Suede.

Speaking to Legal Week, Shropshire said the OIG would work strategically across issues and geographies, rather than in distinct product or practice areas.

"An integrated approach to risk management and compliance is needed for companies to remain competitive and by combining corporate, litigation and regulatory skills we can provide a holistic, robust and commercial perspective," he added.

While financial services clients will still be offered some support through the OIG, the group felt the expertise within the firm's financial regulatory group made it a more appropriate first port of call for banks.

"Regulatory and social expectations of multinationals continue to grow, with regulators around the world becoming increasingly active," said Harvard-Williams. "This poses a complex compliance challenge for corporates, with unpredictable outcomes when problems do occur."

In a bid to attract the attention of general counsel and senior compliance staff, the group is also holding a series of events on issues ranging from cyber security, data protection, whistleblowing and supply chain management.