Discovery Communications Names Joe Lasala As General Counsel
January 6, 2008
(Silver Spring, Md.) Discovery Communications today announced that Joseph A. LaSala, Jr. has been named to the position of Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary reporting to President and CEO David Zaslav. LaSala joins Discovery from Novell, Inc. He will be based at the company’s global headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, beginning January 14.
As Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, LaSala will be responsible for the legal affairs of the company, and will serve as the principal legal advisor to the company’s management team and board of directors. His responsibilities will include oversight of the corporate legal function, affiliate legal matters, intellectual property issues, international legal affairs and all litigation. LaSala also will counsel on major transactions and work to ensure that the company is in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. LaSala is assuming General Counsel duties from Mark Hollinger, who was recently named Chief Operating Officer.
"Joe’s experience, background and character will be a valuable addition to our senior management team," said Zaslav. "His expertise as general counsel and a member of Novell’s executive committee will be critical for Discovery Communications as we prepare for the next stage in the company’s global operating strategy."
"It’s an honor to join an industry leader like Discovery Communications," said LaSala. "David, Mark and the entire Discovery management team have a proven reputation for quality, integrity and success, and I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and working with them to continue the strong history of being a trusted and respected company throughout the media industry."
Most recently, LaSala served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Novell, Inc., where he served as a member of Novell’s Executive Leadership Team and had responsibility for all legal matters affecting Novell on a worldwide basis, including corporate governance, intellectual property, contract management, licensing, anti-piracy, regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and litigation. LaSala joined Novell in 2001 when the company acquired Cambridge Technology Partners, Inc., where he served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since 2000. He previously served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Union Pacific Resources Group, Inc., an oil and gas company, and in various regulatory and government relations capacities with Union Pacific Corporation.
LaSala is a graduate of The Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America and received his undergraduate degree from Catholic University. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the American Bar Association.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications is the number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery's 100-plus worldwide networks are led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, The Science Channel, Discovery Health and HD Theater, with digital media properties including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information please visit www.discoverycommunications.com/.