AMP is moving to protect its chairman Catherine Brenner from growing calls for her resignation in a submission to the Hayne royal commission expected to shine a light on the actions of general counsel Brian Salter in directing his old law firm Clayton Utz to significantly alter an expert "independent" report provided to the corporate regulator.

The submission, which began being prepared by AMP's lawyers King & Wood Mallesons on Friday, follows an emergency board meeting on Thursday afternoon that brought forward the departure of CEO Craig Meller, appointed director Mike Wilkins as interim CEO and ordered a review while Mr Salter – believed to have engaged lawyers Arnold Bloch Leibler – takes leave.