Mr Berner takes up the reigns from Fabrizio Mecozzi who has held the position since 2012, a role he took up 12 years after joining the company. He is taking up a new US-based role which has yet to be specifiied at the company which sees him relocating from Nike’s European headquarters in the Netherlands.

Former partner at US law firm

Mr Berner was previously a partner at US law firm Weston Benshoof Rochefort Rubalcava & Maccuish – now part of Alston & Bird. In 2002, he joined Nike as a managing attorney focusing on intellectual property, a role he held for six years then assuming the General Counsel role at Nike-owned shoe company Converse before rejoining Nike in 2012 as senior director of global brand protection.

Legal alliance

Nike utilises a legal alliance of firms for external advice, co-ordinated by Dutch firm Kennedy Van der Laan, it is a collection of 31 law firms spanning 22 jurisdictions, including the UK’s Charles Russell Speechlys, Spain’s Gomez-Acebo & Pombo, French firm August & Debouzy and Taylor Wessing’s German arm. However, Nike has worked with other firms including Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom whichadvised on the £140 million sales of Umbro in 2014 and Baker McKenzie which acted on the purchase of Umbro for £285 million in 2007.