Meta The company announced Tuesday that it had hired a former employee. microsoft Legal executive Curtis Joseph Mahoney will become chief legal officer.
Mr. Mahoney replaces Jennifer Newstead, Meta’s former lead attorney. Jennifer Newstead announced that she would be leaving Meta in December to become Apple’s general counsel in March.
He joined Meta at a time when the company was facing a wave of child safety-related lawsuits across the country. That includes an ongoing lawsuit in New Mexico, where the state attorney general claims Meta failed to protect children from sexual abuse and human trafficking on apps like Facebook and Instagram.
“CJ brings world-class legal expertise, a passion for frontier technology, and deep insight into the global regulatory challenges facing our industry,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement. “We look forward to working with him to advance Meta’s mission to build the future of human connection.”
CJ Mahoney, Meta’s new lead attorney.
Provided by: CJ Mahoney
Most recently, Mahoney served as corporate vice president and general counsel for products, services, and go-to-market legal affairs at Microsoft. He previously served as Acting U.S. Trade Representative during President Donald Trump’s first stint in the White House.
He joined Microsoft in 2021 as deputy general counsel, focusing on trade and the company’s Azure cloud business. Shortly after joining the company, he represented Microsoft at a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Trade and Revenue to discuss the company’s efforts in Africa. In 2025, Mr. Mahoney became General Counsel of Microsoft, providing leadership to attorneys, paralegals, and business professionals in engineering, sales, and marketing.
A Microsoft spokesperson said Mahoney was responsible for legal and political matters for Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chairman, president and chief executive officer. The Information reported in 2018 that Zuckerberg sought advice from Smith after Mehta’s Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal.
“I’m excited to join Meta, which continues to lead AI innovation and connect people around the world,” Mahoney said in a statement. “I am grateful for the confidence Mark and the board have placed in me as we close out a great chapter at Microsoft and begin a new chapter at Meta.”
A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment on succession plans after Mahoney retires.
Axios first reported on Meta’s new statutory employment.
—CNBC’s Jordan Novet contributed reporting.
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