MINNEAPOLIS —Target Corp. said Thursday that it has named Don Liu to serve as executive vice president, chief legal officer and general counsel, effective August 22. He will oversee all legal, corporate governance and government affairs matters for the company, reporting to chairman and chief executive officer Brian Cornell and serving as a member of Target’s leadership team.

Don Liu

Liu replaces Tim Baer who will be retiring in July 2017 after 23 years with the company. Baer joined the company, then known as Dayton Hudson Corp., as assistant general counsel in 1994. He will serve in an advisory role for the next 12 months, supporting Liu’s transition to Target.

“Tim’s leadership has been integral to Target’s success and we are grateful for his years of service,” Cornell said in a statement. “In all his years with the company, Tim has been a true guardian of the Target brand, bringing a sharp legal mind and rock-solid judgement to every challenge. He was a trusted voice on our leadership team, managing and mitigating issues and influencing our business during a time of intense change. He also developed a strong team of in-house legal talent and was a respected advisor to our board of directors. On behalf of the entire team, I thank Tim for the tremendous contributions he made to our brand and our business.

“As Tim transitions to retirement, I look forward to welcoming Don to our team. His extensive legal expertise as well as his deep business acumen will help us continue to navigate the increasingly complex business environment with the highest standards of ethics and integrity. I know Don will be an excellent addition to our leadership team.”

Liu, 55, joins Target from Xerox Corp. where he has served as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary since 2007. In that role, he was responsible for all of Xerox’s legal and government affairs matters. Liu’s career also included stints with Toll Brothers inc., where he was senior vice president and chief compliance officer, and Ikon Office Solutions, where he was senior vice president and general counsel.

“I am privileged to join Target as general counsel,” Lui said. “I have long admired Target and the legal team behind the brand. Joining the organization will provide me with an incredible opportunity to bring my passion for the law to one of the great retail companies in America. I look forward to building Target’s business and positively impacting its reputation.”