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Apple is further restructuring its legal department – and is once again bringing in personnel from Meta. A long-time chief litigator at Facebook is set to take on a newly created position that will consolidate patent and commercial litigation worldwide. Apple currently has plenty of those.
Scott Tucker is leaving Meta to join Apple, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the matter. Tucker spent nearly six years as deputy general counsel at Meta, where he was responsible for litigation; prior to that, he held a senior legal position at Morgan Stanley.
He is slated to become Apple's Vice President for Global Litigation and Financial Services. This appointment is part of a series of top management changes that have been reshaping Apple's leadership team for months.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Scott Tucker, previously chief litigator and deputy general counsel at Meta, is moving to Apple, according to Bloomberg.
- The position is newly created and covers patent and commercial litigation worldwide, as well as legal issues relating to Apple's financial services.
- Tucker is therefore part of the team of chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead, who herself came from Meta.
- Heather Grenier, a former direct employee of Newstead, will now report to Tucker.
The new position in the legal department
According to the report, this is a new position. Tucker will be responsible for Apple's global commercial litigation and patent proceedings, as well as legal issues surrounding its financial offerings. The report does not specify a start date.
The reorganization also changes reporting lines. Heather Grenier, who previously reported directly to Newstead, will now report to Tucker. According to Bloomberg, she will retain her position on Newstead's legal leadership team.
The second switch from Meta to Apple
Tucker is not the first lawyer to move from Meta to Apple. Jennifer Newstead was previously chief legal officer at Meta and is now Apple's general counsel, responsible for legal affairs and government relations. With Tucker, she is bringing a former colleague from her old company to Apple.
The report is based on unnamed individuals from the vicinity of the incident; it does not mention any document or statement from Apple.
Why Apple is consolidating its litigation
I see this move primarily in the context of the legal situation. Apple is currently pursuing several expensive patent lawsuits simultaneously. In the Taptic Engine dispute, a jury awarded the plaintiff $5.7 billion, a verdict Apple is now appealing. In the case with Masimo, Apple must pay an additional $184 million in interest on top of the damages award.
Creating a dedicated department with global responsibility for precisely these procedures is an understandable response. For users, nothing changes immediately – but this appointment reveals where Apple currently sees the greatest risks: not only with regulators, but also in court.
Do you think that having its own chief litigator will help Apple better manage the costly patent defeats of recent months – or are such rulings almost unavoidable in the US legal system? Share your opinion in the comments.
