Financial and professional services recruiter Morgan McKinley has appointed James Franklin to head its legal recruitment division in the UK, as part of its drive to capture more Brexit-related business.

Franklin joins the global recruitment agency as an associate director from BCL Legal, where he spent a year leading the London private practice team. Prior to that, he was at recruitment firm Robert Walters for a decade.

Morgan McKinley said Franklin's hire comes after a strong year of growth for its professional services team and is aimed at helping the firm to "fully harness the increased opportunities that Brexit is generating, both in-house and in private practice".

Hakan Enver, managing director of Morgan McKinley UK, said in a statement: "It is a pleasure to welcome James on board to lead our legal practice across the UK. James brings a wealth of experience, which can only enhance our existing professional services product offering even further into the legal sector."

The recruitment firm recently published data showing the number of legal jobs on offer in the UK grew by a third last year.

According to the research, demand for technology, media and telecoms lawyers jumped 25%, while the need for lawyers specialising in advice on data protection and the GDPR was up by 10%.

Job applications for legal roles at the Big Four accounting firms rose 50%.

Last week, KPMG announced that it was rolling out its legal consultation service in the UK aimed at helping in-house counsel and law firms adapt their teams to meet demands of the modern legal market.