“I am absolutely delighted to be joining Durham,” Parkinson said. “I’m really excited for the next chapter of my career and feel like the squad matches my desire to win trophies and improve myself as a cricketer.
“When I heard Durham had interest in signing me, I was delighted. Marcus North and Ryan Campbell have a clear vision for taking their strong group of players forward and I’m delighted to become a part of that group.
“I have good friends in the Durham dressing room who keep telling me how good the north east is and I’m looking forward to finding out firsthand.”
Parkinson, 26, has taken 140 first-class wickets at 38.82, having joined Leicestershire from Derbyshire in 2016. In T20, he has 108 T20 wickets in 94 appearances, which includes playing for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred.
He was made Leicestershire’s four-day captain last season but lost the job over the winter after refusing to sign a contract extension.
Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, said: “We are excited to have secured the signing of Callum Parkinson. Callum is an experienced spinner on the domestic circuit and his arrival will enable us to continue to be effective in all conditions.
“Callum is one of the best spinners in the country and is proven in both red- and white-ball cricket, we feel that by bringing him to Durham he will take his game to the next level and contribute and play a big part in Durham’s future success, which we are all excited about.”