Qualcomm Inc. general counsel Donald Rosenberg can’t help but chuckle a bit when asked if he’s seen as a “fixer” in the corporate world, a wholly appropriate reaction considering his background as one of the most battle-hardened in-house leaders around. 

Rosenberg previously served as the chief lawyer for tech titans IBM Corp. and Apple Inc., the latter of which welcomed him aboard as it was preparing to unleash the first iPhone on the world while dealing with a host of intellectual property issues and an antitrust investigation.