Fox Corp. Top Lawyer Adam Ciongoli Is Exiting, Nick Trutanich to Take Over as General Counsel

Fox Corp. said Adam Ciongoli, chief legal and policy officer, will not renew his contract — and that he will step down from the role effective Dec. 1. Ciongoli will serve as a special adviser to Fox through June 2028.

Nicholas Trutanich, currently Fox Corp.’s executive vice president, principal deputy general counsel, will become general counsel of the company with Ciongoli stepping down. Trutanich will report directly to executive chair and CEO Lachlan Murdoch.

The changeover comes as Fox Corp.’s $22 billion deal to buy streaming-platform company Roku remains pending. The companies expect the deal to close in the first half of 2027. Shareholders of both Fox and Roku approved the agreement, which is still pending Justice Department clearance.

Before joining Fox in 2023, Ciongoli was general counsel and chief sustainability, corporate responsibility and governance officer for Campbell Soup Co. He previously was general counsel of Lincoln Financial Group, Willis Group Holdings PLC and Time Warner Europe. Before moving into the private sector, Ciongoli served as counselor to John Ashcroft when he was U.S. attorney general; as chief counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Federalism and Property Rights; and as law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.

“I’d like to thank Adam for his many immense contributions over the last three years,” Lachlan Murdoch said in a prepared statement. “I deeply appreciate his service to Fox and am grateful that he will continue to serve Fox as a special adviser. Nick Trutanich has been a critical member of the Fox team since joining the company five years ago and will bring deep legal, litigation and compliance experience to this expanded role.”

Ciongoli, in a statement provided by Fox Corp., said: “It has been a privilege and an honor to be a part of the Fox family, and I have especially valued my relationships with Lachlan and our talented colleagues. I look forward to continuing to work with Lachlan and Fox as a special advisor to help this great company in its continued successes.”

Prior to joining Fox, Trutanich served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada from 2019-21 and previously held senior roles at the Nevada attorney general’s office and served as a federal prosecutor within the DOJ. Earlier in his career, Trutanich was a litigator in private practice and a federal law clerk. “I will be honored to serve as general counsel and grateful for the opportunity to lead such a talented legal team,” Trutanich said. “It is an exciting time of growth and innovation at Fox, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the company to advance our goals.”

Also as part of the transition, the company announced that Kristopher Jones, EVP and head of government relations, will report directly to John Nallen, president and COO of Fox Corp., effective Dec.. 1.

Fox Corp.’s brands include Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Tubi Media Group, Fox Entertainment and Fox Television Stations.