Apple Taps Meta's Legal Head Jennifer Newstead As General Counsel Amid Executive Shuffle

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has appointed Meta Platforms‘ (NASDAQ:META) chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead as its new general counsel and senior vice president.

Newstead To Lead Apple’s Legal Shift

Newstead, who previously served as the legal advisor of the U.S. Department of State, will take on the role of senior vice president at Apple next month and assume the position of general counsel in March.

She will be succeeding Kate Adams, who has been Apple’s general counsel since 2017. Adams is set to retire late next year after a transition of duties.

Apple’s Vice President for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, will retire in late January. Following her departure, Apple’s government affairs team, which is part of the environment, policy, and social initiatives division, will merge with the general counsel’s office and be led by Newstead after Adams retires.

See Also: Elon Musk Walked Barefoot Through The Snow for 2 Hours on Christmas Eve to Pick Flowers After Forgetting A Gift For Ex-Wife. ‘My Brain Is Exploding’

Meta, Apple Revamp AI Teams

This move comes amid a series of high-profile executive changes in the tech industry. Meta Platforms has been making significant moves to strengthen its position in the artificial intelligence (AI) space, including the recent hiring of Apple’s Alan Dye as its chief design officer.

Meanwhile, Apple has been undergoing its own leadership transition in the AI sector, with the retirement of its longtime AI chief, John Giannandrea. 

Gene Munster believes CEO Tim Cook is accelerating Apple’s AI push as longtime AI chief Giannandrea prepares to retire in spring 2026. Munster noted the timing aligns with rumors about a new Siri launch and suggested Giannandrea may have been asked to step down, reflecting Cook’s heightened focus on advancing AI in his final years at Apple.

Benzinga’s Edge Rankings place Apple in the 85th percentile for quality and the 97th percentile for growth, reflecting its strong performance in both areas. Check the detailed report here. 

Price Action: On a year-to-date basis, Apple stock surged 15.11%, as per data from Benzinga Pro. On Thursday, the stock fell 1.21% to $280.70.

READ NEXT:

Image via Shutterstock

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.