SCISYS Group, supplier of bespoke software systems, IT-based solutions and support services, has appointed Natasha Laird to the board of SCISYS with immediate effect as an executive director and general counsel. Ms Laird joined SCISYS as General Counsel in 2014, and has been Company Secretary since September 2016. Prior to joining SCISYS, she practised as a commercial litigation lawyer with Hammonds (now Squire Patton Boggs) and as general counsel in industry. Because Ms Laird is the daughter of Dr Mike Love, chairman of SCISYS and a major shareholder, the entire process of the nomination, evaluation and appointment of Natasha as a director of SCISYS was initiated and managed by David Coghlan, independent non-executive director. Mr Love was not involved in any meetings or decisions concerning the appointment.

MEGA International, a global software firm helping companies through business and IT transformation, has appointed Jean-Michel Chouteau as corporate general counsel, to lead all corporate legal activities around the world. Mr Chouteau has more than 20 years of legal experience working for companies in the technology, insurance, healthcare, and nuclear industries. Prior to joining MEGA, he served as legal manager of commercial law for Sage, senior legal counsel of IT sourcing for Alstom, and senior legal counsel of IT, sourcing, and data privacy for Groupe OGF.

Julie M Lewis has been appointed general counsel and corporate secretary at Carestream Health effective immediately. She will lead the company’s worldwide legal organization and is a member of the company’s senior executive leadership team. Ms Lewis brings more than 25 years of private, public and corporate legal experience to the role. Formerly deputy general counsel and chief privacy officer for Carestream, a $1.6 billion healthcare company headquartered in Rochester NY, she served as the company’s lead attorney for its medical film and dental businesses, along with overseeing the company’s global litigation proceedings. Prior to joining Carestream, Ms Lewis was a partner in the Commercial Litigation Department of Harris Beach.

Dallas-based Fiesta Restaurant Group has announced that the former general counsel of Panera Bread Co, which owns and franchises the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana restaurant brands, will be taking over the legal department, effective immediately. Louis DiPietro is appointed senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, and replaces Maria Mayer, who has left the Company.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has named Daniel Kahl as additional deputy director for the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OICE). Mr Kahl, who has been OCIE's Chief Counsel since February 2016, will continue to serve in his role as chief counsel. He is a 17-year veteran of the SEC.

Lincoln Financial Group has hired its new top lawyer. Leon Roday, who previously worked at Genworth Financial and GE Financial Assurance, serves as executive vice president and general counsel. He replaces Kirkland Hicks, who resigned the general counsel position after deciding to take a mid-career break to travel abroad.

PDC Energy has announced the planned retirement of the company’s current general counsel, Dan Amidon, on December 31, 2018 and the appointment, effective January 1, 2019, of Nicole Martinet, the company’s current Associate General Counsel, to the position of general counsel and corporate secretary. Ms. Martinet will be responsible for corporate and tactical legal initiatives, governance for the board of directors, as well as other related duties. She has been the company’s associate general counsel since March 2011.

Paycor, which provides 30,000 companies with intuitive, cloud-based onboarding, applicant tracking, hr, payroll and timekeeping software, has appointed Ed Woodson as senior vice president and general counsel. An experienced intellectual property attorney, Mr Woodson will be responsible for leading the organization’s legal, corporate secretary and compliance activities. He joins Paycor from Grable Martin Fulton, a provider of outsourced legal advisor and general counsel services, where he provided overflow assistance for clients’ legal departments and performed business, corporate, merger and acquisition, and technology legal services.