Around the house

Santander head of banking legal Jason Elphick has been recruited as the new general counsel for OneSavings Bank. Mr Elphick will fill the empty seat left at the FTSE 250 company by former GC Zoe Bucknall, who left the company in March. Before his two-and-a-half year leadership stint at Santander, Mr Elphick spent a decade working within the in-house team at National Australia Bank, where he served as GC for capital and funding and GC for products and regulation. His early career in private practice was spent at Mallesons Stephen Jacques in Australia and Sidley Austin in New York.

Meanwhile, Boston Consulting Group has hired former Grosvenor general counsel Ulrike Schwarz-Runer as its own global general counsel. A specialist in cross-border corporate and M&A transactions, Ms Schwarz-Runer will oversee the company’s legal function and join its executive committee. She departs from Grosvenor after six years serving as the property developer’s first ever GC. Ms Shwarz-Runer’s earlier posts include serving as general counsel at Dubai Holdings, an executive director at Goldman Sachs and a solicitor at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett.

KPMG associate general counsel Christopher Arnull has joined BDO International in the newly created role of head of legal and practice protection. Mr Arnull is leaving KPMG after more than 20 years with the company, which he joined in 1992.  

Washington Metro general manager Paul Wiedefeld has named Patricia Lee as the company’s new general counsel. A graduate of Harvard University, Ms Lee has held senior legal roles at security firm Northrop Grumman and Cable & Wireless USA, and was previously a partner at Holland & Knight. She will join Washington Metro from 11 July.

Finally, biotechnology company Ignyta has appointed Dr Christian Kuhlen as its new general counsel and secretary. Dr Kuhlen holds a JD and an MD from the University of Southern California and was an attorney in private practice at Cooley from 2004-7. Since 2007, he has served as general counsel, vice president and secretary of Genoptix, leading its legal and corporate governance functions in its IPO that year and acquisition by Novartis in 2011. At Ignyta, he will replace former GC Matt Onaitis, who departed the role last month after two years.