Meta taps Microsoft's C.J. Mahoney as new legal chief
Meta just named C.J. Mahoney—formerly a top lawyer at Microsoft—as its new chief legal officer, starting Wednesday.
He steps in for Jennifer Newstead at a time when Meta is dealing with some pretty serious legal heat, from antitrust probes to privacy crackdowns in the US and Europe.
Why does this matter?
Meta's facing billion-dollar fines, data privacy investigations, and lawsuits over child safety and teen protections.
Mahoney will be leading the charge on these issues—and also helping shape how Meta handles AI regulations going forward.
Who is Mahoney?
Mahoney brings experience from both tech and government: he was Microsoft's deputy general counsel and served as the US deputy trade representative.
He says he's "excited to join Meta as it leads the way in AI innovation and continues to connect people around the world."
Who is he replacing?
Mahoney takes over from Jennifer Newstead, who led Meta through some tough court battles—including keeping Instagram and WhatsApp under Meta's wing last year.
She'll be heading to Apple as their general counsel in March 2026.