Apple Brings in Lawyers that Know Regulatory Heat

(MoneyWatch)  Apple announced today that Bruce Sewell would become its general counsel. It's a smart and necessary choice because Apple continues attracting the unwelcome attention of regulators and Sewell, late of Intel, knows that playground well:

At Intel, Sewell has been responsible for leading all of Intel's legal, corporate affairs and corporate social responsibility programs, managing attorneys and policy professionals located in over 30 countries around the world. He joined Intel in 1995 as a senior attorney assigned to counsel various business groups in areas such as antitrust compliance, licensing and intellectual property. In 2001, Sewell was promoted to vice president and deputy general counsel, managing Intel's litigation portfolio, and handled corporate transactions including M&A activities.

In other words, he's been part of the team at Intel that faced inquiries in both the US and Europe. Apple needs that expertise because its actions almost seem designed to irritate regulators. From the overheating problems of a number of its important product lines to caginess in dealing with Google as a sometimes overly close partner-competitor, it is almost as if Apple management were saying, "I dare you." If you're going to wave a red cape in front of a bull that is capable of lifting you on its horns and tossing your body, you'd better make sure that someone in your company is a matador.

Image via Flickr user grapa, CC 2.0.