First up, Israeli gambling software development company Playtech has named Alex Latner as its new general counsel. Mr Latner has hitherto served a long-standing adviser to Playtech while a partner as law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner. He will be replacing former Playtech GC David McLeish, who also made the switch from BLP to the gaming firm in 2013. Mr McLeish left the company last year to take up a position as media, technology and IP law firm Wiggin.

Also in the gaming and gambling space, NYX Gaming Group has announced the hire of Todd McTavish as the company’s new chief legal officer. Mr McTavish has previously held several top-tier in-house legal roles, serving as general counsel, chief compliance officer and company secretary of multimedia games at Everi and as general counsel at Video Gaming Technologies. Mr McTavish commenced in his new role on 16 January and will be based at NYX Gaming’s headquarters in Los Vegas, Nevada.

Former Ashurst chief information officer David Lumsden has been tapped by artificial intelligence provider RAVN Systems as its new chief legal officer. Mr Lumsden’s elevation to the helm of the company comes after he joined RAVN as chief strategy officer last year. In addition to his seven-year stint as Ashurst’s CIO, Mr Lumsden served as CEO of legal software provider Tikit Group between 2000 and 2013. He will replace RAVN founder and former CEO Peter Wallqvist, who is moving into the CSO role formerly held by Mr Lumsden.

Global strategic advisory and consulting group Berkeley Research Group has announced the appointment of Eric Miller as senior vice president and general counsel. Mr Miller first joined BRG in 2015 as the company’s senior vice president for strategic initiatives and risk management. Previously, he served as general counsel and chief risk officer at FTI Consulting between 2006 and 2015 following a stint in private practice at law firm DLA Piper. Mr Miller replaced founding BRG general counsel Marvin Tenenbaum on 1 January, with Mr Tenenbaum staying on with the company as senior vice president and special advisor to the chairman.  

Finally, global risk management solutions company Assurant has confirmed that current chief legal officer Bart Schwartz will retire from the role at the end of this year. Mr Schwartz assumed control of Assurant’s legal department in 2008, having previously served as general counsel at what is now Willis Towers Watkins, as general counsel of The MONY Group, as deputy general counsel and corporate secretary at Marsh & McLennan, and chief corporate governance officer and corporate secretary at Bank of New York Mellon. Assurant has also announced the promotion of Gregory DeChurch to the role of deputy general counsel, effective from the beginning of this month.