Apple Taps New Top Patent Lawyer
Tangled as it is in a thicket of patent suits, this might seem an odd time for Apple to be making personnel changes at the top of its legal department, yet that’s exactly what has happened. Apple’s chief intellectual property counsel, Richard “Chip” Lutton Jr., will leave the company as soon as next month, Reuters reports.
The reasons for Lutton’s imminent departure aren’t yet clear, but evidently Apple has already lined up his replacement: BJ Watrous, former deputy general counsel for Hewlett-Packard, has already updated his LinkedIn profile to reflect his new gig. Watrous joins Apple with a full plate of IP litigation, including suits against Samsung and HTC. In his new position, he’ll oversee the Apple team that manages patent development licensing and litigation.
Apple declined comment on the matter.