eBay hired Samantha Wellington as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Secretary, replacing Marie Oh Huber. eBay CEO Jamie Iannone had announced Huber’s departure in March, writing that she was leaving the corporate to pursue a brand new chapter in her profession and private interests. Huber left eBay in June after nine years as General Counsel.
Wellington will oversee all global features of eBay’s legal department, including Government Relations, mental property, employment, litigation, regulatory and company work across eBay’s financial services, marketplaces, and product and technology organizations. She’s going to report on to Iannone and can join the corporate on October 7, 2024.
Among the many challenges the brand new head of legal will face: eBay is “vigorously” fighting a lawsuit brought by the federal government over the Clean Air Act and other EPA laws. And as Iannone said in a keynote address at this week’s eBay Open conference, eBay is working to lobby Congress to vary the proposed threshold for 1099K tax forms “to a more reasonable level that wouldn’t place an unnecessary burden on sellers,” he said. “Our work here, together with your help, has helped persuade the IRS to twice delay the implementation of a lower reporting threshold,” he told sellers. “That is an ongoing challenge, and we proceed to campaign for a more reasonable and everlasting final result.”
Wellington involves eBay from TriNet where she was Executive Vice President of Business Affairs, Chief Legal Officer, and Secretary. Based on yesterday’s announcement, “Her leadership focused on spearheading initiatives that address the evolving workplace dynamics for TriNet’s customers, facilitating capital access for small business owners, and enhancing customer support experiences to support business growth. Prior to TriNet, she spent 12 years at Oracle, where she held various senior legal positions.”
Within the announcement, Iannone said of Wellington partially, “Samantha’s expertise shall be invaluable as we proceed to innovate and grow our global marketplace while ensuring we meet our legal and ethical responsibilities.”
Wellington herself was quoted within the announcement: “My parents began their business by selling skateboard parts on the open market in Sydney, so I even have a deep appreciation for eBay’s role in empowering businesses of all sizes. As a longtime eBay user and collector, I’m captivated with helping others unlock similar opportunities and connecting individuals with what they love.”
