UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) announced that the company has appointed both Christopher J. Walsh and Mitchell Zamoff to the position of executive vice president and general counsel, effective immediately. Zamoff and Walsh have shared the duties on an interim basis for UnitedHealth Group since January 2009.

Zamoff will take lead responsibility for regulatory and governmental matters, compliance and litigation. Walsh will be responsible primarily for Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) compliance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, employment and capital markets. They will co-chair the company’s legal department.

Stephen J. Hemsley, chief executive officer and president of UnitedHealth Group said, “Mitch and Chris have been working together very well to coordinate the work of our legal department. The broad and diverse nature of our enterprise requires expansive and multifaceted leadership, so we are pleased to have two such talented and insightful legal minds directing this important aspect of our business.”

Walsh joined UnitedHealth Group’s corporate legal department in August 2007. Previously, he was a partner at the law firm Hogan & Hartson, LLC, where he represented publicly and privately held companies in a variety of matters, including in the areas of securities, corporate finance, corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Hogan & Hartson, Walsh was in-house counsel for a NASDAQ listed company and a privately held technology company. He began his career at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis. Walsh earned his Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Wyoming.

Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare in March 2008, Zamoff was also a partner at Hogan & Hartson. He served as a director of the Litigation Practice Group and Deputy Chair of the firm’s White Collar and Government Investigations Group, representing clients primarily in the health care and insurance sectors. From 1996 to 2000, Zamoff was Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in Philadelphia. He oversaw investigations by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and handled all trials, sentencing, appeals and post-conviction proceedings arising from the cases he prosecuted. Zamoff earned his Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Virginia.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to making health care work better. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through six operating businesses: UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, OptumHealth, Ingenix and Prescription Solutions. Through its family of businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 70 million individuals nationwide. Visit www.unitedhealthgroup.com for more information.