Facebook-parent Meta appoints former Microsoft legal executive Curtis as its chief legal officer

Facebook-parent Meta has hired former Microsoft legal executive Curtis Joseph Mahoney as its chief legal officer. As announced by the company in an internal post, Mahoney will replace Meta’s previous head lawyer, Jennifer Newstead who announced to step down from Meta in December 2025 to join Apple. In a statement, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg “C.J. brings world-class legal expertise, passion for frontier technology, and deep insight into the global regulatory challenges facing our industry. I’m looking forward to working with him to advance Meta’s mission to build the future of human connection.”As mentioned above, Joseph Mahoney is a former Microsoft executive. He joined the software giant in 2021 as a corporate vice president and general counsel for product, services and go-to-market legal. He was promoted as Microsoft’s general counsel last year, taking leadership of lawyers, paralegals and business professionals who work on engineering, sales and marketing.Mahoney reported to vice chairman and president Brad Smith at Microsoft. He has previously worked as a deputy U.S. trade representative during President Donald Trump’s first stint in the White House.In a statement, reported by CNBC, Joseph Mahoney said “I’m excited to join Meta as it leads the way in AI innovation and continues to connect people around the world. As I close an incredible chapter at Microsoft and begin a new one at Meta, I’m grateful for the trust Mark and the Board have placed in me.”