Pinsent Masons has hired former shadow cabinet member Douglas Alexander as an adviser to the firm.

Alexander, who was a Labour MP until last year, served in the cabinet under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

He has held positions as shadow foreign secretary, secretary of state for transport, secretary of state for Scotland and minister for Europe. He also served as the UK's governor to the World Bank.

Alexander will work with the senior leadership team at Pinsent Masons to advise the firm's clients on doing business responsibly.

His remit will include engaging with the firm's clients on how they can connect their businesses to their communities, tackle poverty and inequality through investment, and develop more prevalent and robust business ethics and compliance practices.

He will also play a role in advising the firm's clients on their response to the UK's EU membership referendum in June.

Alexander will split his time between his role at Pinsent Masons and his other roles as a senior fellow at Harvard University, visiting professor at King's College and advising U2 frontman Bono.

Last month Pinsent Masons expanded its geographical reach as it opened its second German office.

The firm hired a trio of partners - Thorsten Volz, Sonke Godeke and Torsten Wielsch - from KPMG's German legal arm in January and opened the base in Duesseldorf in February.

Pinsent Masons has hired former shadow cabinet member Douglas Alexander as an adviser to the firm.

Alexander, who was a Labour MP until last year, served in the cabinet under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

He has held positions as shadow foreign secretary, secretary of state for transport, secretary of state for Scotland and minister for Europe. He also served as the UK's governor to the World Bank.

Alexander will work with the senior leadership team at Pinsent Masons to advise the firm's clients on doing business responsibly.

His remit will include engaging with the firm's clients on how they can connect their businesses to their communities, tackle poverty and inequality through investment, and develop more prevalent and robust business ethics and compliance practices.

He will also play a role in advising the firm's clients on their response to the UK's EU membership referendum in June.

Alexander will split his time between his role at Pinsent Masons and his other roles as a senior fellow at Harvard University, visiting professor at King's College and advising U2 frontman Bono.

Last month Pinsent Masons expanded its geographical reach as it opened its second German office.

The firm hired a trio of partners - Thorsten Volz, Sonke Godeke and Torsten Wielsch - from KPMG's German legal arm in January and opened the base in Duesseldorf in February.