Read the Internal Memo That Meta’s Top Lawyer Sent Saying She’s Joining Apple

Apple has employed Meta’s prime lawyer, Jennifer Newstead, as its subsequent normal counsel, extending a broader reshuffle of the iPhone maker’s senior ranks.

Newstead will be a part of Apple in January as a senior vice chairman, reporting to CEO Tim Cook, and is ready to turn out to be normal counsel on March 1, 2026, succeeding longtime authorized chief Kate Adams, who plans to retire late subsequent yr, Apple mentioned in a press launch.

In the identical announcement, Apple mentioned Lisa Jackson, its vice chairman for Atmosphere, Coverage, and Social Initiatives, will retire in late January 2026. Her Authorities Affairs group will first transfer beneath Adams after which to Newstead after Adams departs, whereas Apple’s atmosphere and social initiatives groups will report back to Chief Working Officer Sabih Khan — successfully placing each authorized and authorities affairs beneath Newstead as soon as the transition is full.

The transfer is the most recent within the management pipeline dance between Apple and Meta. On Wednesday, Meta poached Apple’s longtime human interface design chief Alan Dye, who is ready to turn out to be Meta’s chief design officer on the finish of the yr.

Newstead’s leap to Apple means Meta is dropping the lawyer who has overseen its most delicate authorized and regulatory battles for greater than six years. She has served as Meta’s prime lawyer since 2019, overseeing the corporate’s historic win towards the FTC in November when a federal choose rejected the company’s bid to drive Meta to unwind its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions.

At Meta, her remit has additionally included steering the corporate by means of fast-changing privateness guidelines, together with cross-border knowledge transfers in Europe and authorized questions tied to content material moderation and elections.

Earlier than becoming a member of Meta, Newstead served because the State Division’s authorized advisor, a Senate-confirmed position during which she led the authorized staff advising the Secretary of state on US international coverage.

Enterprise Insider obtained Newstead’s inside memo asserting her departure. Learn it right here:

Hello everybody –

I need to share with you that after six and a half years at this outstanding firm, I’ve made the tough resolution to depart Meta on the finish of this yr to pursue my subsequent journey.

Serving as Meta’s Chief Authorized Officer has been a privilege. I’m deeply grateful to Mark for his visionary management, friendship, and belief in me to champion Meta’s trigger. I am additionally grateful to Sheryl Sandberg, for serving to to recruit me, for her empathetic management and friendship, and to all my colleagues and associates in Mark’s management staff, who information the groups constructing the merchandise that billions of individuals use and love.

I’m pleased with the distinctive work of Meta’s authorized staff. It has been an honor to work with colleagues of such expertise and integrity. Your experience and deep perception within the mission will proceed to be foundational to Meta’s future.

I joined Meta in 2019 from the State Division after a protracted profession in regulation, authorities, and coverage as a result of I believed in our mission and needed to assist the corporate navigate an necessary set of modifications within the authorized and regulatory panorama. During the last seven years, we have hit many milestones, together with our current win in a historic antitrust trial. Now we have deepened our compliance tradition and dedication to accountable innovation as we construct for the thrilling future forward.

As for me, I can be becoming a member of Apple subsequent yr as Senior Vice President, serving as Basic Counsel and overseeing the Authorities Affairs operate. This new position is a singular alternative for me to proceed shaping authorized and coverage points around the globe.

Thanks all for making this journey so significant. I look ahead to seeing all that you just obtain within the years forward.

Jen