Royal Mail group general counsel Maaike de Bie is leaving to join fellow FTSE 100 company EasyJet as its new legal chief.

She will replace EasyJet's interim general counsel Daud Khan, who was flown in from Clifford Chance to cover the role on a temporary basis after former legal chief Kyla Mullins left to become general counsel at ITV.

De Bie leaves Royal Mail after five years at the company, where she first worked as deputy general counsel before becoming group general counsel in 2015.

During her time at the company, she oversaw a review of its legal panel in 2014. The line-up – which comprises 13 firms including Addleshaw Goddard, Ashurst, CMS, DAC Beachcroft, DLA Piper, Dentons, Herbert Smith Freehills, Macfarlanes, Slaughter and May and Weightmans – has since been extended for an additional year from 2017.

Before joining Royal Mail, de Bie also worked at EY, General Electric and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. She began her legal career as a senior associate at White & Case.

It has not yet been confirmed when de Bie will begin her new role at EasyJet, or who will replace her as general counsel at Royal Mail.

Law firms Easyjet has turned to regularly in the past include Herbert Smith Freehills, Norton Rose Fulbright and DLA Piper.