Apple Computers has lost its senior UK lawyer to arch rival Microsoft UK, as Chris Parker joins the IT giant as law and corporate affairs director. Parker's appointment fills a gap that has been vacant for some time following a shake-up of Microsoft's corporate structure. Late last year, Yvonne McLean left the company for personal reasons. Her role as head of the four-lawyer UK team was expanded to bring the legal and corporate affairs departments closer together.
The recruitment of Parker completes a process of devolving responsibility from Microsoft's Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) team in Paris to its most important jurisdictions. Last year, Dorothee Belz, former general counsel of Kirsch Media, joined Microsoft in Germany and Thaima Samman joined Bill Gates's company as director of law and corporate affairs in France from her role as director of corporate affairs at tobacco giant Phillip Morris.
News source: The Lawyer.com
