Taylor Woodrow Property has axed its 'difficult to manage' in-house legal department after 30 years in a drive to improve efficiency.The commercial property arm of developers Taylor Woodrow signed a deal with the company's outside City law firm, CMS Cameron McKenna, to take the lawyers following a department appraisal.

A source close to the company said: 'Taylor Woodrow's view was that it was always difficult to manage.'Taylor Woodrow Property's in-house legal department head Michael Leighton has returned to private practice as a senior assistant and solicitor Mona Flahive has become an assistant.

They have moved with a paralegal and a secretary.Taylor Woodrow Property has instructed the City firm since it first set up.

It made cuts to its legal panel in the 1990s, with Camerons winning more work.A statement from Camerons described the appraisal as dealing with 'the most efficient deployment of the legal team'.Nick Brown, Camerons' property group manager, said: 'They got in touch with us and we were happy to take the team.

We will be integrating them generally within the team, but they will continue to do work for Taylor Woodrow.

We will be doing the work which was previously done by the in-house team.

We are going to be their lead lawyers.'Taylor Woodrow's company secretary Clifford Knott was not available for comment.Anne Mizzi