Apple hires former Meta lawyer Scott Tucker to lead global litigation team

What happened

Apple has hired Scott Tucker to lead its litigation team, according to reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman [1, 2, 3]. Tucker will take on the newly created role of vice president of global litigation and financial services [1, 2]. In this position, he will oversee commercial lawsuits, patent disputes, and legal matters related to the company’s financial products [1, 2].

Tucker joins Apple after serving nearly six years at Meta, where he was the vice president and deputy general counsel for global litigation [2]. He also previously held a senior legal role at Morgan Stanley [1, 2]. His hiring brings him back to work with Jennifer Newstead, Apple’s general counsel, who joined the company in March after six years as the top lawyer at Meta [1, 2].

This hire is part of a broader reorganization of Apple’s legal and government affairs departments under Newstead [1, 2]. This overhaul follows the retirements of Kate Adams and Lisa Jackson [1]. As part of these changes, Apple also hired Nate Gatten, a former American Airlines executive, as the new vice president of government affairs [2].

Other leadership changes include:

• Heather Grenier, the vice president of commercial and competition litigation, will now report to Tucker instead of Newstead, though she remains on Newstead’s leadership team [1, 2].
• Kyle Andeer, a longtime legal executive, is expanding his responsibilities to include international legal matters, cybersecurity, law enforcement, and online child safety [1, 2].

These shifts come as Apple manages several legal challenges. The company is involved in a U.S. government antitrust lawsuit and various privacy cases [1]. It also recently agreed to a $250 million settlement regarding delayed Siri features, with a final approval hearing scheduled for February 2027 [1]. Additionally, legal battles with Epic Games have already resulted in changes to Apple’s rules regarding fees and links to outside payment options [1].

Who is affected

Apple’s legal and government affairs teams are being restructured under Jennifer Newstead [1, 2]. Some Apple executives reportedly believe the company needs to improve its performance in court, specifically regarding App Store disputes [1].