Zurich Insurance's UK business has appointed Edward Bridge as its new general counsel, taking over from longstanding GC Neil Hodges. Bridge, who started working at the insurer in December 2017, is also a member of its UK executive committee.

He joins from Prudential where he was head of the insurer's UK and Europe legal department. Before moving in-house to work for Prudential in 2011, Bridge was a lawyer at multiple firms including Covington & Burling and Shearman & Sterling.

Meanwhile, rival insurer Aon has hired Edward Smerdon, who was previously the managing partner of the recently collapsed law firm Sedgwick. He has been appointed as head of legal and technical within the financial and professional services division of its London-based Global Broking Centre.

He replaces David Naylor, who has joined New York-headquartered professional services company Marsh as head of its UK financial institutions industry practice. Prior to his time at Sedgwick, Smerdon was a partner at RPC for just under 10 years.

Royal Mail's director of legal operations Sarah Barrett-Vane has left the company to set up her own legal operation consultancy. SBV Consulting aims to provide ad hoc support to in-house legal teams and law firms within legal operations. The consultancy will also offer bid and pitch support to the legal sector, with a focus on bidding for public sector legal work.

While at the Royal Mail, Barrett-Vane was responsible for budget management for group legal. This entailed running all legal panel reviews and other legal appointments alongside the GC. She was also responsible for managing Royal Mail's external legal advisers and investigated and implemented new technologies for the legal team. Before moving in-house, she was a solicitor at legacy Eversheds within the commercial and construction litigation team.

Johnson Controls has appointed John Donofrio as the technology company's new global general counsel, taking over from Judy Reinsdorf. Previously, Donofrio was general counsel of Mars Incorporated. He has also held GC roles at The Shaw Group and commercial and consumer products company Honeywell.

Prior to moving in-house in 2000, Donofrio was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis. During Reinsdorf's time at the company, Johnson Controls completed a $20bn (£14bn) merger with security provider Tyco. Eversheds Sutherland holds a sole provider relationship with Johnson Controls.

General Motors deputy general counsel for global markets, autonomous vehicles and transportation, Lucy Clark Dougherty, has left to join off-road vehicle maker Polaris. Clark Dougherty will serve as general counsel, compliance officer and corporate secretary. She replaces outgoing GC Stacy Bogart, who is leaving to be general counsel of motorhome manufacturer Winnebago Industries.