Roomba-maker iRobot replaces GC for the second time in 12 months

Kevin Lanouette will succeed Tonya Drake, who was promoted to GC last January

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Roomba vacuum-maker iRobot Corporation has hired Kevin Lanouette as general counsel, replacing Tonya Drake after just a year in the role.

Lanouette joins from on-demand GC services provider Outside GC, where he was a partner. He brings with him strategic legal expertise across the tech and software sectors, handling corporate, securities, IP licensing, transactions and compliance matters. He will take on a similar remit at iRobot.

Bedford, Massachusetts-based iRobot is a consumer robotics company, best known for its Roomba vacuum cleaner and robot mops.

Drake is leaving the company 12 months after being promoted to GC when chief legal officer Glen Weinstein was appointed interim CEO following iRobot’s failed merger with Amazon. Weinstein remained interim CEO until May when he was replaced by Gary Cohen, ending a 24-year career with the US robot-maker.

Cohen said: “I’d like to thank Tonya for her many years of service to iRobot. Her legacy of tenacity and rigour in protecting the iRobot Company and our brand has been exemplary.”

Drake will remain on as an advisor until 7 March. She departs after almost 11 years at iRobot, having originally joined as assistant GC from Fish & Richardson.

Lanouette arrives after three years at Outside GC, having previously been assistant GC at US chip-maker Analog Devices, where he spent 14 years. Prior to that he spent a year as GC at medtech business Sontra Medical Corporation and three years as founding partner of law firm Browne Rosedale & Lanouette.

He was also previously associate GC at supply chain management business CMGI (now Steel Connect), having started his career as a corporate associate at legacy firm Hale and Dorr.

Cohen said: “Kevin is a seasoned and highly skilled attorney whose experience in advising on complex corporate and securities, commercial, M&A and IP protection matters will be invaluable as we execute our strategic initiatives and work toward a return to profitable growth.”

In other recent US in-house tech moves, in August US chip-maker Credo hired Jim Laufman as CLO from Automation Anywhere, its second legal head in less than a year. And in July, another US chip-maker – Lam Research – hired Ava Harter as CLO from home appliance-maker Whirlpool.

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