Qorvo, the company that resulted from the recent merger of RF Micro Devices Inc. and Hillsboro, Ore.-based TriQuint Semiconductor, has hired a new corporate vice president and general counsel.

Jeff Howland comes to Qorvo from Winston-Salem-based Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, where he was a partner. While working for the law firm, he served more than 20 years as outside counsel to RF Micro Devices.

Howland, who started the new position last week, reports to Qorvo CEO Bob Bruggeworth in Greensboro, said Brent Dietz, the company's director of corporate communications.

Company officials said Howland will serve as secretary to Qorvo's board of directors, with responsibility for all corporate legal matters, including legal filings, intellectual property and technology licensing, contracts and litigation activities. He was a key member of the outside legal team that assisted in the merger.

Howland spent 27 years with Womble Carlyle. He provided counsel to C-level executives for both publicly traded and private technology businesses, including semiconductor, software and life science companies.

Prior to his work at Womble Carlyle, Howland was with Houston-based legal firm Baker Botts. He earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law and a bachelor's degree in economics from Wake Forest University.