By Mark Gurman
Apple Inc. has tapped a longtime Meta Platforms Inc. executive as its new litigation chief, bolstering its legal team at a time when the iPhone maker faces a growing array of lawsuits.
The company has hired Scott Tucker, a longtime deputy general counsel and litigation chief at Meta, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The move reunites Tucker with new Apple General Counsel Jennifer Newstead, who is bringing on a trusted lieutenant from her time at the social networking giant.
Tucker is becoming Apple’s vice president of global litigation and financial services, a newly created position overseeing commercial and patent litigation worldwide, said the people, who asked not to be named because the move isn’t public. He’ll also manage legal matters involving the company’s financial offerings.
Tucker, in addition to his tenure at Meta, previously held a senior legal position at Morgan Stanley, giving him experience relevant to his new financial services responsibilities. Newstead took over as Apple’s general counsel in March after serving as Meta’s top lawyer for six years.
Kyle Andeer, another senior member of Apple’s legal department and its longtime vice president managing regulatory and product-related legal matters, is seeing his role expand. He is gaining oversight of international legal matters and functions involving online child safety, cybersecurity and law enforcement.
Spokespeople for Apple and Meta declined to comment.
The changes are part of a broader reorganisation under Newstead, who oversees legal and government affairs. Apple recently hired Nate Gatten, a former American Airlines Group Inc. executive, as its vice president of government affairs. The company has also appointed new government affairs leads for different international regions.
Apple combined its legal and government affairs groups under Newstead following the recent retirements of Lisa Jackson, the former head of environmental, policy and social initiatives, and previous top lawyer Kate Adams. Former Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, now the company’s executive chairman, has also taken a leading role in government affairs.
Apple is waging a variety of legal battles, including a sweeping US antitrust lawsuit, its long-running dispute with Epic Games Inc. over App Store restrictions, and litigation related to privacy and delays to Siri features.
The company has faced billions of dollars in judgments and settlements in recent years, while regulators in the US and Europe have challenged business practices central to the iPhone maker’s operations. Some Apple executives believe the company hasn’t fared as well in court as it should have, particularly in litigation involving the App Store.
Those setbacks have forced Apple to change its commission structure and the circumstances under which it can charge developers. The changes threaten to significantly slow growth in Apple’s services business, a key driver of revenue expansion in recent years. A slowdown in that business would deal a major blow to the company’s overall financial performance.
Even in the best of times, overseeing Apple’s litigation is a difficult job. The Cupertino, California-based company is among the most frequently sued businesses in the world, facing cases ranging from slip-and-fall claims at its retail stores to multibillion-dollar antitrust disputes.
Grenier took over the role under particularly challenging circumstances, replacing her predecessor just before Apple’s landmark trial against Epic Games began in 2021. Her tenure has also spanned two major leadership transitions: the appointment of John Ternus as CEO and Newstead’s arrival.
In recent weeks, Ternus has overseen a sweeping series of executive changes, including the appointment of new leaders for the App Store, events and corporate functions such as information security and real estate. The reshuffling also includes the departure of the longtime Apple Pay chief, the replacement of the company’s mergers and acquisitions head, and a reorganisation of the company’s hardware engineering division.
