LendInvest has appointed an in-house legal counsel to help with regulatory changes and legal provisions.

The online short-term property lender has hired Ruth Pearson from Simmons & Simmons where she was a managing associate in the banking team after joining as a trainee in 2007.

She will work closely with the company’s heads of compliance and credit to streamline the LendInvest’s legal processes. Pearson will also lend her transactional expertise to borrowers and brokers, assisting with their legal queries.

Christian Faes, co-founder & chief executive at LendInvest, said: “Bringing Ruth into our team of industry specialists comes at an important time for the company which is growing quickly in a rapidly-evolving market. A thorough, in-house understanding of regulatory changes and legal provisions will make sure we are always best placed to help borrowers and investors alike to receive the highest quality service from our platform.

“As a lawyer myself, who often gets lumped with legal issues, I’m very excited to bring Ruth on board as part of our team!”

LendInvest has originated over £500m of loans for borrowers seeking finance deals lasting up to three years. The company’s team grew rapidly in 2015 from 30 employees to over 70 full-time staff by year-end.