The Estée Lauder Companies has plucked the longtime top attorney from Thomson Reuters to head its legal department.

Deirdre Stanley has been named executive vice-president and general counsel, effective October 28, the New York City-based cosmetics giant announced on Wednesday (September 4). She succeeds Sara Moss, who was promoted to the newly created role of vice-chairman in July.

Stanley, who could not immediately be reached for comment, had been EVP and GC at Thomson Reuters since 2008 and EVP and GC at its predecessor company, The Thomson Corporation, for nearly six years before it was acquired by Reuters, according to her LinkedIn profile. Under her leadership, Thomson Reuters' legal department, which includes attorneys in more than 10 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and multiple emerging markets, received Legal Week sister publication New York Law Journal's Legal Department of the Year award last year.