Amazon has appointed Asda's general counsel and company secretary Alex Simpson.

He is joining Amazon after leading Asda's in-house team for nearly nine years, and being its company secretary for six.

Amazon confirmed the appointment but declined to comment on what role he would be taking. One person with knowledge of the situation said it was a legal head position.

In a statement, Roger Burnley, Asda's chief executive officer, said: "Alex has built and successfully led teams of lawyers and colleagues, managing some of the very complex legal challenges that we have faced.

"As general counsel, Alex has been a strong and inclusive leader and has built a professional and very capable legal team. He has also provided us, and Walmart, with impeccable legal judgement, a strong knowledge of the business and uncompromising integrity."

Simpson was the legal adviser behind the supermarket giant's failed merger with Sainsbury's, which would have created a company worth more than £10 billion. For that transaction, Asda had instructed regular counsel Slaughter and May.

Prior to joining Asda, Simpson worked as a solicitor at Walker Morris for four years and as a group commercial lawyer at Northern Foods also for four, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is also a senior independent director at the Institute of Directors.

Asda said Simpson is due to leave his role next week (September 12), at which point he will be temporarily succeeded by current Asda in-house lawyer Philip Titchmarsh while the company looks for an official replacement.

The news was first reported by The Telegraph.