In its list of "America's 50 Outstanding General Counsel," The National Law Journal recognized two GW Law alumni: Bruce Sewell, JD '86, Apple, Inc.'s General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs, and David Buchen, JD '89, Chief Legal Officer of Actavis PLC. To create the list, the publication evaluated the candidates' major transactions for their companies, pro bono efforts, work to expand diversity, leadership, innovation, and legal results.
As Apple's General Counsel, Mr. Sewell serves on the company's executive team managing all legal matters, including corporate governance, intellectual property, litigation and securities compliance, and government affairs. Notably, Mr. Sewell recently found himself at the center of Apple's legal battle with the FBI over unlocking an iPhone that belonged to one of the suspects in the San Bernardino shootings.
Mr. Buchen started at Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. in 1998, which Dublin-based pharmaceutical company Actavis later acquired. At Actavis, he has built a 40-attorney team from the ground up. The team has been focusing on a series of acquisitions, including the recently announced $25 billion deal for Forest Laboratories Inc.