Having led the professional networking site through its initial public offering (IPO) in 2011, LinkedIn has announced that general counsel (GC) Erika Rottenberg will leave in August to take some time out after six years in the role, while Stockholm-based Tele2 has just announced its new GC.
On Rottenberg’s departure, LinkedIn chief executive Jeff Weiner said in a statement: ‘Our company feels tremendous gratitude to her for her fantastic insights and smart counsel. We wish her the very best as she pursues her ‘next play’.’
In May 2011, LinkedIn led the way for social networking IPOs when it launched on the New York Stock Exchange, selling 7.84m shares at more than double the price expected just the day before, closing at $94, giving the company a market cap of almost $10bn.
Rottenberg joined the social networking service in 2008 as its first full-time lawyer and GC and has overseen the growth of her team to 30, more than double that in 2012.
Having begun her legal career at US firm Cooley – which later represented the underwriters on LinkedIn’s IPO – Rottenberg was previously senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at talent management software provider Sumtotal, having also been GC at digital entertainment products company Creative Labs between 1996 and 2002.
The California-based company said it will use its own site to advertise for Rottenberg’s replacement.
Meanwhile, last week European telecoms giant Tele2 appointed Caroline Fellenius-Omnell as its new group general counsel from Swiss-based liquid packaging company Sidel.
Fellenius-Omnell, who joins on 1 May, will report to president and CEO Mats Granryd. Her in-house experience also includes acting as general counsel (GC) for Europe at Tetra Pak in Paris as well as corporate counsel at Swedish appliances manufacturer Electrolux. Having focused on corporate and competition law, Fellenius-Omnell also spent time in private practice, and was a lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Mannheimer Swartling.
Granryd said: ‘We are confident that her extensive international experience from several different industries will be of great value to the Tele2. She also has just the right personal challenger mindset that we are looking for.’
Fellenius-Omnell said: ‘I am highly motivated to join a challenger company such as Tele2. It has a strong brand with a very appealing history and future outlook. I feel a strong personal match with the company’s growth ambitions and value-oriented leadership.’
francesca.fanshawe@legalease.co.uk