National Express has hired Burges Salmon banking partner Sandra Forbes as its new general counsel.

It is understood that Forbes will replace the existing legal head and company secretary Michael Hampson, who joined the London-listed company in 2012 after a stint as GC for Whitbread.

Forbes, who joins National Express in May, is currently the head of Burges Salmon's corporate and financial institutions department and is the second partner to leave the firm in recent months.

Nick Olley, previously head of transport at the Bristol outfit and earlier head of corporate, exited in September for a general counsel role at the Department for Transport (Dft), where he now leads a team of 80 lawyers.

Forbes joined the southwest giant in 1991 from legacy firm Frere Cholmeley Bischoff – now part of Eversheds – and has been a partner there for 18 years.

As well as establishing the firm's banking practice, she has advised on a wide range of corporate financing transactions, and particularly in the transport sector on deals such as rolling stock leases in rail privatisation, new train projects and bonding facilities for rail companies.

She was also the first-ever female department head, taking over the role of corporate finance leader from Roger Hawes in 2006 when he returned to full time fee earning.

At the time the group included the corporate finance, banking, pensions and employment teams and was the largest department at the firm.

Related: Burges Salmon partner Olley takes GC role at Department for Transport