Addleshaw Goddard has appointed its first full-time chief operating officer (COO) since 2009, bringing in Axel Koelsch from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ahead of its merger with Scottish firm HBJ Gateley.

Koelsch, who will join the firm in February 2017, is currently COO for Freshfields' Germany and Austria offices, a role he has held since 2010.

Freshfields Dubai finance director Carsten Weber will take up Koelsch's role at the start of the 2017-18 financial year. Senior members of the firm's finance and administration teams will share responsibility for the role from February until that time.

Koelsch will help to draw up and deliver strategic plans for Addleshaws, including its forthcoming merger with HBJ Gateley. The union, which was first announced last month and is due to go live in June next year, will give Addleshaws an additional £20m in revenue and offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

He will also help manage costs and review delivery of investments as part of the position, which will see him join Addleshaws' executive team alongside managing partner John Joyce, chief financial officer Colin Brown, general counsel (GC) Simon Callander, real estate partner Adrian Collins and employment head Michael Leftley.

Addleshaws has not had a full-time COO since 2009, when the then post-holder, Peter Smith, became partnership secretary – a role he held until he retired in 2014.

Joyce said: "We have taken our time to find the individual with the right combination of skills and experience relevant to our business. Axel will bring a valuable perspective in the implementation of the firm's strategy, as well as in shaping the growth, systems and profitability of our current and future business."

Koelsch has experience working on law firm mergers. Before joining Freshfields, he served as continental Europe COO at legacy Lovells and was involved in the planning of its 2010 merger with legacy US firm Hogan & Hartson.

Koelsch started his career in the legal sector as Linklaters' head of strategy before becoming COO for Germany. While at Freshfields, he was a member of the firm's global operations committee and was responsible for the finance, IT, HR and business development functions across Austria and Germany.

His hire comes after Addleshaws recruited Olswang's GC Callander in September 2015 as its first GC.

Since joining, Callander has steered through a new partnership deed for the firm, which includes restrictions on partner exits and an extension of term lengths for both the managing partner and senior partner roles.

Addleshaws entered merger talks in late 2015 with US firm Hunton & Williams, Legal Week reported in May, although these discussions are understood to have stalled during the summer.