Hannah Hullah, John Lewis Partnership

The John Lewis Partnership has reinstituted its general counsel position following a shake-up of its in-house legal team. 

The company's legal director, Hannah Hullah, has been promoted to the new role, two years after the position was scrapped.  

In 2018, John Lewis replaced the GC role with a newly created position of partnership secretary, which was taken up by Michael Herlihy who replaced Keith Hubber—the company's last GC before the title was dissolved.

At the time, the company said that the partnership secretary role was created to absorb general counsel responsibilities, with Herlihy leading both the legal directorate and the company secretariat.

Hullah's promotion follows Herlihy's move to an independent director role within the company in September last year.

A spokesperson told Legal Week: "Hullah has now picked up the general counsel part of his role, Peter Simpson is Company Secretary and Herlihy has kept the governance side."

Hullah has been with John Lewis for just over nine years, which includes stints as acting general counsel and head of legal for employment.

In her most recent role as legal director, Hullah reported to Herlihy and directed a team of 16 lawyers.

Previously, Hullah occupied legal roles at Marks & Spencer, having trained at law firm Geldards, according to her LinkedIn profile.

In another move at the retailer this week, John Lewis' head of legal operations Maria Passemard left to join alternative flexi-lawyer service LOD as its new director of innovation and design.