BG deputy general counsel Keith Hubber will join the John Lewis Partnership as general counsel and company secretary on 1 February 2015. Hubber  joins from BG Group where he has spent 13 years, first as a corporate lawyer and then, from 2007, as company secretary, moving to deputy general counsel in 2011. He will replace Alan Buchanan who served as interim director of legal services and company secretary. John Lewis Partnership chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield said he was ‘ delighted to welcome Keith to the Partnership. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Alan Buchanan for the excellent contribution he has made during his time as interim director of legal services.’ Buchanan will remain in post as interim director of legal services and company secretary until the end of January 2015, to enable Hubber, who joins in December, to have a full induction to the Partnership.

Lowe's Companies has re-hired Ross W. (Bill) McCanless as its general counsel, secretary and chief compliance officer, effective January 12, 2015. McCanless will replace Gaither Keener, who announced plans to retire from the company following 30 years of service.  McCanless is returning to Lowe's top legal role, a position he held from 2003 to 2006, after serving as chief legal officer, general counsel and secretary for Extended Stay America, and ESH Hospitality, two NYSE-listed companies that own more than 650 extended stay hotels in the U.S. and Canada. In his new role, McCanless will be responsible for directing all legal matters for Lowe's and its subsidiaries as well as advising the chairman and board of directors on corporate  governance matters. 

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has hired a new person to lead its legal department.  Gary Kohlman of Washington DC-based law firm Bredhoff & Kaiser . will take the position of general counsel.  Kohlman recently represented the College Athletes Players Association (CAPA) in the attempt to allow Northwestern University football players to form a union.

Wingstop Restaurants has announced that it has appointed Jay Young to the position of General Counsel. Young will serve on the company’s executive leadership team reporting directly to President and CEO Charlie Morrison. Prior to Wingstop, Young was SVP and general counsel for CEC Entertainment, parent company of Chuck E. Cheese's.

Dan Offner, the former general counsel of virtual reality headset maker Oculus VR has launched a law firm which will specialise in legal issues related to the video games industry. Offner & Associates will work with angel investment firm Blue Heron Ventures to offer ‘fairly priced legal services, angel investment and entrepreneurial experience to startups, emerging growth, and mid-cap companies in the interactive entertainment and technology markets.’ Offner previously worked with companies such as Ubisoft, Konami, THQ, SCi/Eidos, and Sony Computer Entertainment.