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Boeing lawyer who handled 737 Max aftermath to retire at end of 2019

Boeing CEO fired after turbulent year
Boeing CEO fired as company reels from deadly 737 Max crashes 02:23

Another top Boeing official is leaving the company. J. Michael Luttig, a senior adviser to Boeing's board of directors and former general counsel for the company, announced on Thursday he will retire at the end of 2019.

Luttig was in charge of Boeing's legal strategy in the wake of two fatal 737 Max crashes that led to the entire fleet being grounded worldwide. He was also advising the board of directors on strategic matters, according to a Boeing press release. Boeing said in the statement that the 65-year-old Luttig had been considering retirement for some time.

Luttig, a former federal appeals court judge, served as Boeing's general counsel from 2006 until 2019. Luttig assumed his current role following the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which killed 346 people.

Luttig's announcement comes just three days after former Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg stepped down. Muilenburg resigned on Monday following a request from Boeing's board of directors on Sunday night, according to CBS News' Kris Van Cleave.

Boeing still faces considerable legal and logistical challenges related to the 737 Max. The plane is still grounded and awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly again. As a result, production on the plane has come to a halt.

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