Apple GC Rosenberg quits for Qualcomm

He will be replaced at the helm of Apple's legal team by Daniel Cooperman, previously general counsel at database management system company Oracle. Cooperman is due to start at Apple on 1 November and will report to chief executive Steve Jobs.

Rosenberg joined Apple last November with the company facing a raft of legal problems related to backdated share options. He had previously spent more than 30 years with computing giant IBM.

The post had been vacant for six months before his arrival, with former Apple general counsel Nancy Heinen having resigned in May 2006. Heinen has since been charged by the Securities & Exchange Commission with falsifying company records and other counts of fraud related to backdated share options.

At Qualcomm, Rosenberg fills the shoes of former general counsel Lou Lupin, who resigned from the microchip manufacturer in August after a series of legal setbacks for the company. He was replaced on a temporary basis by Carol Lam, one of the eight former US attorneys controversially fired by former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who has since resigned.

Commenting on the appointment of Cooperman, Apple's Jobs said in a statement: "Dan will be an excellent addition to our team and will fit right into Apple's fast-paced culture."

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