Cruise hires PG&E chairman as top lawyer

Cruise, the San Francisco-based self-driving startup, has hired Jeff Bleich, a prominent California attorney and chairman of Pacific Gas & Electric, as its chief legal officer.

Why it matters: Cruise is likely to face extensive regulatory issues as it works toward the deployment of self-driving cars, starting with its home market in San Francisco.

• Bleich is well-connected in government circles, having served as president of the California State Bar, as well as White House special counsel under President Obama, and ambassador to Australia.

What to watch: Bleich presumably still has a lot on his plate at PG&E, which filed for bankruptcy protection last year after amassing tens of billions of dollars in debt related to wildfires caused by its equipment. Bleich joined the PG&E board last year.