Email your news and story ideas to: [email protected]
JetBlue Airways re-hires former associate GC from UiPath to replace departing legal head
Eileen McCarthy will succeed Brandon Nelson, who will remain on as an advisor until November
JetBlue planes in New York Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com
By
Sign up for our free daily newsletter
YOUR PRIVACY - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY DATA PROTECTION STATEMENT
Below we explain how we will communicate with you. We set out how we use your data in our Privacy Policy.
Global City Media, and its associated brands will use the lawful basis of legitimate interests to use
the
contact details you have supplied to contact you regarding our publications, events, training,
reader
research, and other relevant information. We will always give you the option to opt out of our
marketing.
By clicking submit, you confirm that you understand and accept the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
US airline JetBlue Airways has lined up Eileen McCarthy as its next general counsel, replacing Brandon Nelson who has been in the role since 2018.
McCarthy rejoins JetBlue from automation software developer UiPath, where she was deputy GC. On her return to JetBlue, she will oversee the airline’s legal, ethics, compliance and ESG and sustainability efforts, reporting directly to CEO Joanna Geraghty. McCarthy will take up the GC role on 5 August.
Long Island-based JetBlue was ranked as the US’s sixth largest airline in 2021.
Geraghty said: “I’m excited to welcome Eileen back to JetBlue at the helm of our legal department. Her experience and proven leadership in the field will be invaluable as we continue to navigate the dynamic aviation landscape and work to transform our business for long-term success.”
McCarthy returns after about three and a half years at UiPath, having initially joined as senior corporate counsel. She previously spent more than 14 years at JetBlue, roughly eight of them as corporate governance, securities law and compliance counsel and then six as associate GC for corporate governance.
Prior to moving in-house, McCarthy spent just under a decade in private practice, first with legacy Gould & Wilkie and then later as a member at Thompson Hine when it merged with her previous firm.
She said: “I am honoured to rejoin JetBlue and look forward to working with the legal team to support the company and its crew members through this next chapter of JetBlue’s evolution.”
Nelson, meantime, exits after almost two decades with the company’s legal team, having originally joined as staff counsel and working his way up to GC and corporate secretary. In a securities filing, JetBlue disclosed that Nelson will remain on as a strategic advisor until 1 November.
His departure comes after JetBlue in March abandoned its $3.8bn deal to acquire budget carrier Spirit Airlines after a US federal judge blocked the takeover on antitrust grounds.
In other recent airline-related in-house comings and goings, Southwest Airlines promoted its legal VP Jeff Novota to the GC role in May, replacing Mark Shaw who was stepping down to take on an advisory role after almost 24 years as the company’s legal chief. And in February, American Airlines lost deputy GC Grant McGee who returned to Kimberly-Clark as GC.
