The longtime top lawyer for AK Steel Holding Corp. is stepping down in the wake of the Fortune 500 company's $3 billion acquisition by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.

Joe Alter announced Friday that his "last day with the company will come in the next couple of weeks." He has worked in AK Steel's legal department for 11 years and was named general counsel and corporate secretary in 2014. 

"It has been my privilege to be part of a great company and to collaborate with such fantastic employees, particularly as General Counsel and a member of the Executive leadership team during the past six years. I know the company has a bright future ahead as part of Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. and I'm excited about its prospects," Alter wrote on LinkedIn.