Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) senior management continues to shake up as they recruit Meta's core legal chief to address antitrust issues.

Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) has announced the appointment of Meta Platforms (META.US) former Chief Legal Officer, Jennifer Newstead, as the new general counsel, as part of a recent series of executive changes in the company. In a statement released on Thursday, Apple Inc. stated that Newstead will officially take on the role of general counsel on March 1. Prior to this, she will need to complete the handover process with the current general counsel, Kate Adams. In another executive change, Lisa Jackson, the head of government affairs, will retire at the end of January next year. She was previously responsible for the company's environmental, policy, and social initiatives. This latest executive reshuffle comes after Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams departed last month - as Tim Cook's longtime right-hand man, Williams had previously served as his core deputy. At the same time, Apple Inc. design executive Alan Dye will also leave and join Meta to assist with their hardware operations. Newstead's recruitment marks a rare move for Apple Inc. to poach talent from Meta, rather than the other way around. She previously served as a counselor to the U.S. State Department and joined Meta (then known as Facebook) in 2019. It is worth noting that this executive recently experienced a major legal victory at Meta, where the company defeated the Federal Trade Commission's accusations of antitrust violations. The core of the case was the acquisition of the photo-sharing app Instagram and the messaging service WhatsApp. In a memo announcing her departure to Meta employees, Newstead listed the FTC lawsuit as one of the key milestones in her seven-year career at the company. "I believed in our mission and hoped to help the company navigate a series of important changes in the legal and regulatory landscape," she wrote. Newstead added that her work at Apple Inc. presents a unique opportunity to "continue shaping legal and policy issues globally." It is understood that Apple Inc. is facing its own antitrust challenge. The U.S. Department of Justice and 16 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit in March 2024, alleging that the company's policies hinder competition and make it difficult for consumers to switch phones. The trial date for this case has not yet been set. With Jackson's departure, government affairs responsibilities will be transferred to Newstead, who will become a senior vice president. Meanwhile, the environmental and social initiatives team will report to Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan. Jackson previously served as an administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was hired by Apple Inc. in 2013. In Thursday's statement, Cook praised Jackson for helping Apple Inc. reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 60% over the past decade.