A New York-based oil company announced last week that an experienced energy attorney will be taking over as the company's top lawyer.

Robert Ross is the Approved Oil Co.'s new general counsel and chief legal officer. He will be responsible for the company's legal, regulatory and compliance matters for The Approved Companies, which includes Approved Wholesale, Approved Energy and Approved Plumbing & Fire Protection. Ross reports to Vincent Theurer, the company's CEO and president.

Ross started his role in the beginning of January. It is not clear if he is the company's first general counsel and chief legal officer, or if he replaced someone. A spokesperson for the company did not respond to request for comment. Ross was not available for comment.

“Robert brings deep experience and capabilities that will accelerate progress towards our strategy and business performance objectives,” said Theurer. “He is business-focused and knows how a legal function can support a company's strategic objectives and positively impact business results. He will be a terrific addition to our executive team.”

Ross most recently served as the general counsel at W16 Energy, an energy company based in New York. He has also held positions at Morgan Stanley and KMZ Rosenman. He is a graduate of the New York University School of Law.