Leidos has named Dan Antal as its general counsel, effective April 1.
Currently the general counsel for Rolls-Royce Defense and North America, Antal will succeed Jerry Howe, who is retiring.
Howe will serve as general counsel until March 31 and will remain in an advisory role through March 15, 2025, to aid in the transition.
“I’m very proud to welcome Dan back to Leidos and very much look forward to having him on my Executive Team,” said Leidos CEO Tom Bell. “With his deep industry knowledge and his thorough understanding of Leidos, Dan is uniquely positioned to hit the ground running and lead our legal team. His expertise will be instrumental in safeguarding our global business.”
Before joining Rolls-Royce in 2021, Antal had a long career at Leidos in several legal positions. His last position in the company was senior vice president and general counsel – Civil Group for Leidos.
“I am honored to be appointed as General Counsel at this pivotal moment for Leidos,” he said. “I look forward to collaborating with Tom and the talented legal team at Leidos. Together, we will navigate the evolving legal landscape, uphold our commitment to corporate governance and compliance, and support Leidos’ strategic goals. Our collective efforts will be dedicated to fostering an environment of legal excellence and ethical integrity, ultimately benefiting all our stakeholders.”
Antal’s experience in the defense and aerospace industries includes leading a range of general counsel functions in legal, corporate governance, contracts and risk. He spent over seven years at Leidos, where he served as general counsel for defense and corporate secretary, before supporting the civil group.
Antal also worked at MWH Global as director of risk management for the Middle East and director of operations.
“On behalf of the board of directors and management team, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Jerry for his exemplary service as General Counsel at Leidos,” Bell said. “Over the past seven years, his legal expertise and unwavering ethical commitment have been essential in navigating complex legal landscapes and reinforcing our strong governance. While we will miss his invaluable counsel, we are thankful that he will remain as an advisor through March 2025, and we wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement.”
Howe also expressed his “privilege to serve as General Counsel and work alongside the exceptionally talented team at Leidos in achieving the remarkable corporate growth that we have.”
“I have had the pleasure of working directly with Dan and am confident in his legal acumen and ability to lead our team forward,” he said. “Leidos is well-prepared for the future, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing the team’s continued successes.”