Facebook has picked up Ted Ullyot as vice president and general counsel, a man who's served as both former chief of staff for Alberto Gonzales as well as a top lawyer for AOL Time Warner in Europe, reports the L.A. Times.

"He has an extraordinary combination of private legal practice and public sector experience. So many of the legal issues we face touch on both of those arenas," said Elliot Schrage, Facebook's vice president of communications and public policy. "Ted's arrival really demonstrates we're a little more grown-up."

The previous general counsel, Rudy Gadre, left earlier this year, and the company has been looking for a replacement ever since.

The move is the latest in a series of hires that reveal the social network's maturity and gives them a little more clout in Washington. 

This past March, Facebook also pulled in Sheryl Sandberg, former Google advertising guru and chief of staff at the Treasury Department during Bill Clinton's administration.

Facebook hires general counsel as it continues to grow [L.A. Times]

By Chris Snyder for Wired.com