Akin Harrison, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, TEGNA (Courtesy photo)
Akin Harrison, the new general counsel at media company TEGNA Inc., said in-house lawyers like him face special challenges as they try to keep pace with the constantly changing media landscape.
The challenges are coming from both a regulatory and technology standpoint, Harrison noted.
“The business and the competitive landscape is changing very quickly,” he added, “and in-house lawyers must keep up with new developments in order to protect the company’s interests.”
Harrison spoke with Corporate Counsel shortly after being promoted from associate GC to general counsel, senior vice president and secretary. TEGNA, based in McLean, Virginia, owns or operates 47 television stations and two radio stations in 39 markets across the country.
He joined the Gannett Co. Inc. in 2003 as assistant general counsel. In 2015 Gannett split, with the publishing side keeping the name Gannett, while the more profitable broadcast and digital media side took the name TEGNA.
Before joining Gannett, Harrison worked in private practice for Weil, Gotshal & Manges for two years in New York, and then Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison for three years in Washington, D.C.
He earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and his undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia, according to the company.
So why leave aerospace engineering for the law?
“I became a lawyer because it seemed like a very honorable profession,” Harrison said, calling it a career “in which I could actually advance the social good.”
In other moves, several Fox television executives will be joining the Walt Disney Co. once Disney acquires 21st Century Fox. Fox, the remaining spinoff company, said Rita Tuzon has been named Fox executive vice president and corporate general counsel.
Tuzon has served as EVP-GC at Fox Networks Group, supervising business and legal affairs for FNG’s broadcast, cable and digital properties, as well as several business operations units, the company said.
Fox also said that Jill Ratner will transition to executive vice president and chief litigation counsel for the company. Ratner has been serving as the EVP-deputy GC for litigation at 21st Century Fox.