TCW Group, the US-based asset manager, has named Meredith Jackson as executive vice president and general counsel.

Jackson succeeds Michael Cahill, who joined TCW in 1991 and will remain with the firm through mid-2013.

Jackson is formerly of Irell & Manella, where she served as a partner and head of the debt finance practice since she joined the firm in 1999. She was also co-chair of the transactional practice group and a member of the executive, recruiting and legal opinion committees.

During her 24 years in corporate and debt finance, Jackson has advised lenders and borrowers, issuers and underwriters on numerous debt capital transactions, representing Bank of Boston, Citibank, The Bank of New York, Beach Point Capital, Saybrook Capital and Oppenheimer, among others.

TCW has some $138 billion in assets under management, including $50 billion in mutual funds under the MetWest and TCW fund families.