Around the house

In the US, drug developer Catabasis Pharmaceuticals has named Dierdre Cunnane as senior vice president and general counsel. Ms Cunnane boasts over 25 years legal counsel experience, specialising in corporate governance leadership and securities law. Previously, she has served as GC for Advanced Technology Ventures and Lightstone Ventures, both venture capital firms. She has also served as a supervisory attorney for the Harvard Legal Entrepreneurship Project since September 2014.

Late last week, specialist lender Together announced Nigel Dale as the company's new general counsel. Mr Dale has been an adviser to Together for the last 15 years, and will exit his current role as head of banking for Eversheds' Manchester office after 20 years in the role. At Eversheds, Mr Dale specialised in acquisition finance transactions, bilateral and syndicated facilities, property finance and advising on security.

Meanwhile, Indian conglomerate Essar Global Fund Limited has announced that its London-based general counsel and chief compliance officer Raminder Singh will leave the company at the end of this year. Mr Singh was recruited by Essar in 2010 as the company's first ever GC, as part of an attempt to route more local work through London. However, a change in the company's strategic direction will now see Mr Singh step down from the role. 

The United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has recruited top State Department attorney Mary McLeod as its new general counsel. Ms McLeod's appointment forms part of a broader personnel reshuffle at the CFPB that has seen several prominent figures depart the bureau this year, including incumbent GC and acting deputy director Meredith Fuchs. Ms McLeod will assume the role of GC from early next year, while the post of deputy director has not yet been filled.

Finally, US-based food distributor SpartanNash has promoted executive vice president, general counsel and secretary Kathleen Mahoney to the role of chief legal officer. Ms Mahoney has served as general counsel for SpartanNash since the multi-million dollar merging of Spartan Stores and Nash Finch Company in 2013, having previously filled the role of EVP, GC and secretary for Nash Finch since 2009. In her new role, Ms Mahoney will advise the company's Board of Directors as well as overseeing SpartanNash's in-house legal team.