News Briefs from November 21-25, 2001

Neukom to Retire from Microsoft
11/21. Microsoft announced that Executive Vice President and General Counsel William Neukom will retire at the end of this fiscal year. He joined Microsoft in 1985. However, he began his legal work for Microsoft in 1979 while at the law firm of Preston Gates.
Microsoft also named Brad Smith SVP and General Counsel. He was previously Microsoft's Deputy General Counsel. From 1993 to 1996, Smith directed Microsoft's European law and corporate affairs efforts in Paris. Microsoft still faces antitrust scrutiny by EU regulators.
Smith was previously a partner at the law firm of Covington & Burling, where he handled antitrust, intellectual property, and governmental issues. See, MSFT release.
More People and Appointments
11/21. Randall Lee was named Regional Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Pacific Regional Office. He was previously Deputy Chief of the Major Frauds Section in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) in the Central District of California. Before joining the USAO, he was an associate in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Munger Tolles & Olson. He replaces Valerie Caproni, who is now Of Counsel in the New York City office of the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. See, SEC release.
11/21. President Bush announced his intent to nominate Michael Toner to be a Member of the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Toner is currently Chief Counsel to the Republican National Committee. He was previously General Counsel to the Bush Cheney Transition and Bush Cheney 2000. From 1997 to 1999, he was Deputy Counsel to the Republican National Committee. In 1996, he was Counsel to the Dole Kemp campaign. He was an associate in the Washington DC office of the law firm of Wiley Rein and Fielding from 1992 to 1996. See, White House release.
More News
11/21. NASA published a notice of prospective patent license in the Federal Register. It states that Digital Interface Systems has applied for an exclusive license to practice the invention described and claimed in U.S. Patent No. 5,905,568, titled "Stereo Imaging Velocimetry". See, Federal Register, November 23, 2001, Vol. 66, No. 226, at Pages 58761.

Go to News Briefs from November 16-20, 2001.