Adobe’s top lawyer, key to AI strategy leaving company

Update: The story was updated with a statement from Adobe.

Adobe’s (NASDAQ:ADBE) lead lawyer Dana Rao is leaving the company.

“Dana Rao is stepping down from his role as General Counsel and Chief Trust Officer after 12 years with Adobe.” said the tech giant in an emailed statement to Seeking Alpha.

“In the interim, Gloria Chen, Chief People Officer and EVP of Employee Experience, will assume the role as the head of the Adobe legal organization, while the company conducts an executive search for a permanent successor,” the company added.

Rao led Adobe’s Legal, Security and Policy organization. As executive vice president, general counsel and chief trust officer, he oversaw the company’s legal and policy team plus Adobe’s Security team, according to Adobe’s website. Rao was appointed executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary in June 2018. Before joining Adobe, Rao was with Microsoft for 11 years.

Rao was key to the setting up of Adobe’s its artificial intelligence strategy and led the company through a failed antitrust battle for the $20B acquisition of software maker Figma, as per a report from Bloomberg News.