Intel’s Top Lawyer Runs Off to Apple

Apple has just announced that Bruce Sewell, former senior vice president and general counsel at Intel, is joining Apple as the company’s General Counsel and senior vice president, Legal and Government Affairs. He will be reporting to Steve Jobs. Serving these roles at Apple was Daniel Cooperman, who will be retiring at the end of this month.

Admitted to the California Bar in 1986 and to the Washington D.C. Bar in 1987, Sewell received his J.D. from the George Washington University in 1986, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Lancaster, in the United Kingdom, in 1979.

“We are thrilled to have Bruce join our executive team, and wish Dan a very happy retirement,” Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, said. “With Bruce’s extensive experience in litigation, securities and intellectual property, we expect this to be a seamless transition.”

Apple’s official report also reveals that Sewell’s responsibilities at Intel included leading all of Intel’s legal, corporate affairs and corporate social responsibility programs, as well as managing attorneys and policy professionals located in over 30 countries around the world. Intel reportedly grabbed the lawyer in 1995 as a senior attorney assigned to counsel various business groups in areas such as antitrust compliance, licensing and intellectual property. Later, in 2001, he was promoted to vice president and deputy general counsel. During this time, Sewell started managing Intel’s litigation portfolio, and handled corporate transactions including M&A activities, according to Apple.

To give Apple fans even more information, the Mac maker points out that Sewell was a partner in the litigation firm of Brown and Bain PC, prior to being hired at Intel Corp. Here, according to a 9to5Mac report, the guy handled the historic fight between none other than Apple Computer and Microsoft Corporation over the copyright of the Macintosh Graphical User Interface (GUI).