Finalist: Donald J. Rosenberg

Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary Qualcomm Inc.
St. John’s University School of Law

Donald J. Rosenberg is executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Qualcomm Incorporated. In August, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals handed Qualcomm a seismic victory in its antitrust fight with the Federal Trade Commission. The unanimous, bipartisan opinion marked a turning point not just for general counsel Rosenberg and his team of Qualcomm lawyers but for the San Diegobased company as a whole. The ruling allows the company’s broad innovation and investments to realize their potential, which had been limited as long as its business model was under fire. The decision also likely ended five years of bet-thecompany litigation for the San Diego chipmaker over its licensing practices. Rosenberg, a veteran antitrust and intellectual property whiz, guided Qualcomm during each of these legal assaults, winning every time. Thanks to Rosenberg, Qualcomm’s business model is now secure, and the company is well-positioned to be the dominant chip supplier in 5G.