Former Honeywell Exec Katherine Adams to Join Apple as General Counsel

Apple has announced that Katherine Adams, former senior vice-president and general counsel at Honeywell, will join Apple.

According to a press release from Apple, Adams will join the Cupertino company as General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Legal and Global Security this year, serving as chief lawyer of Apple’s legal department and report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kate to our team,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “She’s a seasoned leader with outstanding judgment and that has worked on a wide variety of legal cases globally. Throughout her career she’s also been an advocate on many of the values we at Apple hold dear.”

Adams will replace Bruce Sewell, who has served as Apple’s general counsel since 2009 and will be retiring at the end of the year.

“Bruce has our best wishes for his retirement, after eight years of dedicated service to Apple and a tremendously successful career,” said Cook. “He has tirelessly defended our IP, our customers’ right to privacy and our values. Bruce has set a new standard for general counsels, and I am proud to have worked with him and proud to call him a friend.”

Apple’s general counsel oversees all legal matters, including corporate governance, intellectual property, litigation and securities compliance, global security, and privacy, according to Sewell’s executive bio.

“Apple has had a tremendous impact on the world and it’s an honor to join their team,” said Adams. “I’m excited to help Apple continue to grow and evolve around the world, protecting their ideas and IP, and defending our shared values.”