DRILLING and engineering contractor KCA Deutag has appointed a former lawyer at Burness Paull and Dickson Minto as its new general counsel.
Tony Byrne will head up the oil and gas company's global legal functions from its base in Aberdeen. He replaces Martin Ewan, who had been filling the post on an interim basis.
KCA Deutag employs around 9,000 people and operates in more than 20 countries.
It has more than 100 drilling rigs which are deployed onshore and offshore in Africa, Europe, Russia, the Middle East, the Caspian Sea and South East Asia.
Mr Byrne spent 12 years at Dickson Minto and then had a short spell at Morton Fraser before joining Burness in 2010 as a corporate finance partner.
During his career he has worked on a number of deals in the international oil and gas sector. Now he will report in directly to KCA Deutag's chief executive Norrie McKay.
Mr Byrne said: "I am delighted to be joining such a high calibre senior team.
"This is a unique opportunity to help shape KCA Deutag's future in a complex and fast-moving industry.
"I look forward to using my skills and experience to advise the group's leadership and guide our legal functions around the world."
Mr McKay said: "Tony has an excellent track record and his experience in the international energy industry will be a great asset to KCA Deutag.
"He will play a key role in spearheading our legal and compliance activities and his guidance will help us continue to excel as a world-class, global drilling and engineering company."
The KCA Deutag business was developed out of the Abbot Group, which was founded by Alasdair Locke in 1992.
Abbot was bought for £906m by energy focused private equity firm First Reserve in 2007, netting Mr Locke a massive windfall running into tens of millions of pounds.
Pamplona Capital Management, a specialist investment manager,which has its bases in Park Lane, London, and Park Avenue, New York, took control of the group in 2010.
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