PALO ALTO, Calif.-- HP today announced the appointment of Michael J. Holston as executive vice president and general counsel, reporting to Mark Hurd, HP chairman and chief executive officer, effective Feb. 22. He also will join the company's Executive Council leadership team. Holston, 44, is a partner at Morgan Lewis. He has supported HP as external counsel for more than 10 years on a variety of litigation and regulatory matters. He will be responsible for the company's legal affairs, as well as compliance, government affairs, privacy and ethics. "Mike is a first-rate lawyer, with extensive trial and government-relations experience, as well as a deep knowledge of HP and its culture," said Hurd. "I am delighted that he has accepted this position." Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Holston served as a prosecutor in the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and he is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has a J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and a B.S.M.E. from the University of Notre Dame. Holston will be based in HP's Palo Alto headquarters.