It wasn't the best of times to leave a comfortable career as a Big Law partner to take over the law department at News Corporation. Legal tremors had been buffeting Rupert Murdoch's media empire over a London newspaper's phone hacking scandal. Then, in early 2011, what had been tremors exploded into a full-blown earthquake. One hacking incident involving a rogue reporter had suddenly escalated into many claims, not only of hacking but of alleged bribing of police officers and of cover-ups. And the allegations scaled the corporate hierarchy to include editors and executives as well.
News Corp. had much at stake. Besides newspapers in the United Kingdom and Australia, it was the parent company of, among others, the Fox television network, the 20th Century Fox film studio, and Dow Jones & Company, including The Wall Street Journal. And in short order, the scandal began to damage its properties. In the U.K., Murdoch shuttered a newspaper and lost an opportunity to expand his company's stake in the largest pay-TV broadcaster in Britain. Also, shareholder suits attacked News Corp. for its alleged sweetheart acquisition of a television production company belonging to Murdoch's daughter.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]