Amazon has hired long-serving Asda general counsel and company secretary Alex Simpson. He is leaving the supermarket chain after nearly nine years at the company. Mr Simpson had advised the grocer on its merger bid with fellow Big 4 grocer Sainsbury’s, and his appointment is expected to bolster Amazon’s ties to the UK grocery market as it works to gain market share with its Amazon Fresh online offering, Whole Foods acquisition and the anticipated launch of check out-free Amazon Go stores across the UK. He has served at Asda for over eight years and has acted as the grocer’s general counsel and company secretary since 2013. In an internal email sent by Asda chief executive Roger Burnley, staff were told a new recruitment process is under way and Mr Simpson leaves on September 12.

Pangea Money Transfer, a Chicago-based mobile money transferring platform, has hired a new general counsel and chief compliance officer. Alex Levine will head up Pangea Money Transfer’s compliance and risk operations. He will also lead the company’s regulatory affairs function for its global operations. Mr Levine brings with him nearly 20 years financial services experience to the platform.

Myanmar’s Kanbawza Bank has hired a former US Treasury Department and United Bank of Switzerland AG general counsel to defend the bank against potential sanctions. The bank has called in Williams & Connolly and partner David Aufhauser after the bank had been named in a United Nations report detailing alleged human rights violations.

Alternative investment marketplace iCapital Network has appointed Stephen Jacobs as general counsel. Fast-expanding iCapital, which offers advisors and their clients’ access to a curated menu of private equity and hedge funds, sees Mr Jacobs joining as managing director and general counsel, leading the legal and regulatory operations of the firm. Previously, he was partner and co-chair of the corporate department at Herrick, Feinstein LLP. Prior to joining Herrick, he served as chief operating officer, general counsel and chief compliance officer at Spectrum Group Management, a distressed credit and real estate-focused hedge fund and private equity fund.

Biopharmaceutical company Kadmon has announced the appointment of Gregory S Moss as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. Mr Moss will also serve as the company's chief compliance officer. He joined Kadmon in 2012 and from 2015 until August 2019, served as senior vice president, deputy general counsel. He previously served as acting general counsel and compliance officer of MeiraGTx Limited. Kadmon also announced that Steven N Gordon resigned from his role as executive vice president, general counsel, chief administrative, compliance and legal officer, and corporate secretary of the company, effective immediately, in order to pursue other opportunities.