Former general counsel to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) John Rogovin has joined Warner Bros as executive vice president and general counsel following John Schulman's announcement yesterday [September 16] that he is retiring.

Rogovin will report directly to chairman and CEO Barry Meyer and will oversee the studio's team of more than 125 lawyers. He will also serve as an officer of the company, working with Meyer and studio president and COO Alan Horn and the other corporate officers on long-term growth strategies and business plans.

Meyer said Rogovin was 'well respected and highly regarded in the legal community', while Horn hailed the value of the new arrival's experience and skills as 'the legal issues surrounding creativity and production grow more and more complex.'

'This is a time of extraordinary change and many challenges in the entertainment and communications industries,' Rogovin said. 'I look forward to working with the entire legal team at the studio to not only meet these challenges head on but also help position the company as an innovator and a leader in these areas.'

Rogovin was most recently a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, where he helped build the firm's communications practice, focusing on federal court litigation, regulatory proceedings and mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to that, he served from 2001-05 as general counsel for the FCC, providing guidance and advice on communications issues including the internet, broadband, convergence and digital rights management.

From 1993-96 he served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the US Department Of Justice in its Civil Division, among other positions.