Former president of The Law Society of England and Wales, Christina Blacklaws, has joined Big Four accountant KPMG as an ambassador, in a coup for the auditor.

Blacklaws served as Law Society president between 2018 and 2019. She has a background in business development across various legal sectors and also runs a consulting business.

She joins KPMG as a legal services ambassador – a strategic advisory role – where she will support KPMG's developing legal services across legal innovation strategy and client services, among others.

Blacklaws will also focus on supporting women in the law and leadership initiatives at the accountancy firm.

In a statement, head of legal services at KPMG Nick Roome said: "We currently have a broad range of expertise across the legal spectrum but having Christina on board will give us another dimension.

"Her knowledge, expertise and ear-to-the-ground approach when it comes to the issues impacting our sector will help give us an additional edge in the market."

The news follows KPMG's global expansion of its legal services arm, which currently boasts more than 1,850 lawyers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, more than 300 in the Americas, and more than 250 in Asia-Pacific.

The Big Four firm also boosted its legal operations in eastern Europe last month through a tie-up with Romanian law firm Fernbach & Partners.