The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has named two new general counsel as its chief legal officer gets promoted to chief operating officer.

Lauren Bright and Keith Matthews have been named general counsel for different parts of the foundation. Connie Collingsworth is now the chief legal and operating officer.

A spokesperson said Bright and Matthews both started their new roles Sept. 19. They were not available for comment Wednesday.

Bright is the general counsel supporting the U.S. program, global policy and advocacy and operations teams. She joined the foundation in 2005 and before that worked as counsel at Shaw Pittman, now Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. There she advised trade organizations, professional societies, public charities and other nonprofit organizations. She graduated from Villanova University School of Law. Bright is based in Washington, D.C., where she also serves as the director of that office.

Matthews is the general counsel supporting the global development, global health and global growth and opportunity programs. He also supports the foundation's strategic investment fund. He most recently served as deputy general counsel at the foundation. According to his biography, he previously worked as counsel at O'Melveny & Myers, where his clients included private equity and venture capital investors. He also worked as a senior consultant at Deloitte and as an associate in the Philadelphia and Singapore offices of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School. Matthews is based in Seattle.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a private foundation founded by Bill and Melinda Gates and is based in Seattle. It holds approximately $50.7 billion in assets.