ADESA, Inc. has named George Lawrence to the position of executive vice president, general counsel and secretary. Lawrence's appointment with ADESA took effect on Sept. 13. Lawrence was most recently vice president and general counsel-Americas at Thomson where he managed the legal function for North and South America and played a leadership role in the company's acquisition of Technicolor, Grass Valley, Recoton, Gyration and the formation of the TTE Joint Venture with TCL International, a leader in manufacturer and distributer of televisions. Lawrence was a key member of the management team, which negotiated strategic partnerships with Microsoft and DirecTV in 1998 and took Thomson public in 1999. He previously held senior legal positions at OHM, United Dominion Industries, Stone & Webster and Omni Hotels Corp. Lawrence is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (B.A. in Economics) and the George Washington University National Law Center (Juris Doctor).