Fashion company American Apparel has appointed Chelsea Grayson as its executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of the company from 15 December 2014. She worked for 15 years in private practice in the corporate groups of Jones Day and Loeb & Loeb. She replaces Tobias Keller who has been interim general counsel of the company since June this year. 

On the fashion front also, Arcadia Group's general counsel Mary Geraghy is leaving the company after seven years. The head of legal, who runs a team of six lawyers at the company, previously worked at Harrods for five years. No information on her next move is available. 

British American Tobacco has had a reshuffle.Group legal director and general counsel Nigel Withington is to retire from the company on 30 April 2015. The company announced that the group's Legal and Corporate & Regulatory Affairs functions would be integrated under Jerry Abelman, who is currently Assistant General Counsel, Corporate & Commercial. He has been with BAT for 12 years and was most recently Regional GC -Asia Pacific. Kingsley Wheaton, who is currently Group Corporate & Regulatory Affairs Director, will be appointed Managing Director - Next Generation Products. 

Cyanogen, the company looking to offer an alternative to Android, has recruited Frank Montes to run its legal function. Mr Montes, who previously worked at Facebook and Google, helped draft some of the original documents around the licensing and distribution of Android, according to re/code. He joins after six months at Coin.

Consumer debt company Cabot Credit Management has employed RPC's Charlotte Taggart as its general counsel. Ms Taggart wiill support the board and the broader business and will be responsible for all matters relating to Legal and Internal Audit, the company said. She will also advise on compliance and licensing. At RPC, she was a partner for the past 18 months and earlier worked for insurance brokers Lockton International, Insurer Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance as well as National Australia Bank.