Computer chip maker giant Intel has appointed Douglas Melamed to serve as senior vice president and general counsel. He replaces Bruce Sewell, who left to join Apple in September.

In this role, Melamed will be responsible for overseeing all Intel legal matters as well as corporate and government affairs. He will report to Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini, and maintain offices at Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. as well as Washington, D.C.

Melamed's appointment comes on the same day that the company reached a $1.25 million settlement with Advanced Micro Devices, and at a time when the company faces a slew of other legal challenges brought by government regulators both in the United States and Europe for anti-competitive business practices.

With more than 30 years experience, Melamed has an extensive background in all aspects of antitrust practice. He has secured clearance for major acquisitions in the merger clearance process, argued cases in the United States Supreme Court and other appellate courts, litigated in federal and state trial courts and before the Federal Trade Commission, and has counseled numerous firms on a wide range of antitrust matters.

Melamed was most recently a partner at global law firm WilmerHale, where he was a leader in its Regulatory and Government Affairs Department and served as a member of the Antitrust and Competition Practice Group in the Washington, DC office. He joined the firm in 1971. He has also served in the U.S. Department of Justice from October 1996 to January 2001 as acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust Division and as principal deputy assistant attorney general.