Motorola Solutions Inc. has made its first significant change to its legal department in a decade by appointing James Niewiara as its new General Counsel. Niewiara takes over from Mark Hacker, who has been the company’s top lawyer since 2013. Hacker stepped down from his role on February 1st for personal reasons and plans to officially retire at the end of the year.
Niewiara brings a wealth of experience to the role, having overseen the company’s commercial legal, litigation, and intellectual property teams. He has been with Motorola and its predecessors since 2008, making him an ideal candidate for the top legal post.
Motorola Solutions is the successor company to US telecommunications giant Motorola Inc., which split itself in 2011. The legacy phone business, Motorola Mobility, was sold to Google for $12.5 billion that same year. In 2014, China’s Lenovo Group purchased Motorola Mobility for nearly $3 billion, but Google retained control of the company’s patents.
Patents have been a primary driver of Motorola’s litigation caseload, accounting for almost 25% of the company’s docket in US federal courts in the past five years. Kirkland & Ellis and Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton have handled around 30% of Motorola’s total cases in these courts over that period.
Hacker received a total compensation of over $4.4 million in fiscal 2021, as disclosed in the company’s latest proxy statement. According to Bloomberg data, he has sold off nearly $63 million in Motorola shares since 2018 and still owns approximately $1.3 million in company stock. Niewiara, on the other hand, owns nearly $2.8 million in company stock, according to the same data source. Motorola has not disclosed Niewiara’s current compensation.
The appointment of Niewiara as General Counsel marks a new chapter in Motorola Solutions’ legal department and the company’s commitment to protecting its interests through strong and effective legal representation. With Niewiara at the helm, the company can expect to benefit from his experience, knowledge, and expertise in intellectual property and commercial law.
In conclusion, the appointment of James Niewiara as General Counsel at Motorola Solutions Inc. is a significant development for the company and the legal industry. With his background and experience in the telecommunications equipment and software provider sector, Niewiara is poised to positively impact the company’s legal department and help it navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.
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Motorola Solutions Names Company Veteran to Top Legal Post