The Australia and Asia-Pacific head of the legal services arm of Big Four accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has been appointed the new global leader of the firm's entire legal services network.

Sydney-based Tony O'Malley will take on the new role June 1, from Heinz-Klaus Kroppen in Germany, who will leave PwC. "[The appointment] reflects the increasing importance of the Asia-Pacific region within the global legal network," O'Malley said.

The shift in leadership from Europe to Asia-Pacific reflects the broader economic shift, said O'Malley, noting that growth in the Asia-Pacific region was among the fastest in PwC's global legal network in recent years.