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Mattress maker Tempur-Pedic International Inc. has named Lou Hedrick Jones to the positions of executive vice president and general counsel.

The company's first-ever GC, Jones will be responsible for worldwide legal operations and will report directly to chief executive officer Mark Savary. The company, a manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of mattresses and pillows, has operations in over 70 countries.

Jones already has her work cut out for her. Earlier this year, the manufacturer filed a patent infringement case and sued more than a dozen bedding producers for allegedly infringing on a patent protecting the design and construction of its products. The industry's three largest producers—Sealy Corporation, Simmons Company, and Serta—have been named in the suit.

Tempur-Pedic has said that the Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent covering a variety of mattress constructions in March, and that its leading competitors soon infringed upon the company's intellectual property.

Jones's legal experience includes senior positions in both global corporations and law firms. Prior to the Tempur-Pedic appointment, Jones was general counsel for Papa John's International, Inc. Before that appointment, she was the senior vice president for corporate and international law at Blockbuster Inc. And prior to that, Jones was a partner at the law firm of Thompson & Knight. She has also led legal organizations both in the U.S. and overseas.

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