US legal data and professional services firm UnitedLex has appointed former Dell lawyer Renee Meisel as its first general counsel.

Meisel joined from legal outsourcing business PracticLaw back in November, and had been working with UnitedLex in an interim capacity to establish the company’s GC office. With the role now official, Meisel will be responsible for heading up its global legal function and overseeing matters including commercial transactions, dispute resolution, compliance, privacy and risk management.

James Schellhase, UnitedLex CEO, said: “Renee has built a career simplifying complicated legal issues into business-enabling operational solutions in both start-ups and global Fortune 500 companies.”

Meisel set up PracticLaw in March last year after leaving her previous role at Breakwater Solutions, where she was chief operating officer. Prior to that she spent four and a half years at legal support services business Purpose Legal, most recently as chief legal officer. She also spent just over 11 years at Dell in a number of roles, including as legal director and senior legal operations director.

She said: “UnitedLex is a company that always intrigued me with its innovative approach rooted in pushing the boundaries of legal services. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to step into the general counsel role and join the impressive UnitedLex executive team. I look forward to helping execute James’s vision for UnitedLex and working with the team to deliver the services and solutions that are reshaping the legal industry.”

UnitedLex provides legal data analytics and other professional services to law firms and in-house legal teams in areas including litigation, intellectual property, contracts, compliance and legal operations. It operates in 26 jurisdictions globally and counts a quarter of the Fortune 100 as clients.

The company is backed by European private equity giant CVC Capital Partners. Last month CVC said it was hiring Allen & Overy’s Amsterdam office head Brechje van der Velden as CLO after previous GC Lauren Livingston announced her departure from the firm to set up advisory and coaching business Compass Leading.