Social media giant Facebook has appointed Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s co-head of IT and data privacy Ashlie Beringer as deputy general counsel (GC), just weeks after Twitter announced Vijaya Gadde will take over as GC of the online social networking group.
Beringer takes over from Colin Stretch, who this summer succeeded Ted Ullyot as vice president and GC, following Ullyot’s announcement in May that he would be stepping down.
A litigation partner at Palo Alto-based Gibson Dunn, Beringer has represented Facebook and MySpace in the recently-announced Federal Trade Commission investigations and settlement of claims into alleged privacy violations.
Beringer previously specialised in entertainment litigation and a 2006 Wall Street Journal profile said: ‘Beringer has established something of a subspecialty in reality-TV litigation…. And she worked on a team that successfully defended Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne in two contract disputes related to their MTV reality series.
‘We can’t vouch for Beringer’s litigation skills, but Sharon Osbourne, in her memoirs “Sharon Osbourne: Extreme,” had this to say: “Ashlie Beringer has got balls of steel.”‘
Beringer starts at Facebook in November, and will oversee its litigation, regulatory and product team.
Her appointment comes just weeks after Twitter’s GC Alexander Macgillivray announced he is to leave the social networking giant in the lead up to its initial public offering.
Former Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati lawyer Vijaya Gadde has taken over the lead role.
In the blog announcing his departure Macgillivray said: ‘As for me, it has been my privilege to work and fight on behalf of great companies and their users over the last decade. A privilege and a lot of work. So, I’m looking forward to engaging my various internet passions from new and different perspectives, seeing friends and family without distraction, and just goofing off a bit. We should all do more of that.’
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
