American Apparel Inc. said Friday it named Glenn A. Weinman as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. He succeeds Joyce Crucillo, who will become the company’s chief litigation counsel.

Weinman, 53, will start work on Feb. 17, the Los Angeles clothing manufacturer and retailer said. He was previously a partner at Dongell Lawrence Finney LLP and headed up the firm’s corporate and business transactions practice. Weinman earlier served as general counsel for Luminent Inc., a fiber optic component manufacturer.

“Glenn is an excellent addition to our company and will be a great fit with our fast-paced culture,” Chief Executive Dov Charney said in a statement.

Crucillo has served as the company’s general counsel since the company combined with Endeavor Acquisition Corp. in December 2007. Crucillo’s ability to concentrate on litigation comes as American Apparel faces a number of lawsuits from former employees.