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EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. Discovery’s Chief Legal Officer Savalle Sims, a long time member of David Zaslav‘s corporate inner circle is leaving the media giant.
The sudden news of the forthcoming departure of the company’s legal chief was unveiled by CEO Zaslav in a note to staff that was sent out in the last hour. As the missive, which you can read in full below, states Sims will continue at WBD over a transition period as a replacement is sought and hired.
No details of where Sims will land or resurface is known. However, I hear that Sim’s exit is unrelated to the turmoil the company finds itself in with lawsuits with the NBA over TV rights and the courts hitting the pause button on the Venu sports streamer that WBD was in business with Disney and Fox on.
With Discovery for over a decade and running the company’s Litigation and Trademark legal teams, Sims was a key player in the mega-merger that created WBD in April 2022.
Read Zaslav’s memo below:
All,
I want to share that our Chief Legal Officer Savalle Sims has decided to transition to her next chapter after more than 13 years serving as a key member of the leadership team. Throughout her time at Discovery and now WBD, Savalle has been known for both her sophisticated litigation strategies as well as her passion for mentoring her team and the next generation of legal minds. She will be continuing in her role as she transitions and provides continuity on several important matters she is overseeing.
Savalle’s mark can be seen on many of our achievements over the past several years, including the integral role she played in our recent transformative acquisitions. She guided the legal strategy for Discovery’s 2018 acquisition of Scripps Networks and also our recent deal to form Warner Bros. Discovery, during which Savalle seamlessly navigated these complex negotiations with diplomacy and level-headedness.
Savalle is a world-class legal executive who built a great team that spans businesses, regions, and expertise. She and her team were instrumental in helping the company and the industry navigate negotiations last year with several of the largest labor unions and guilds. With her balanced approach of advocating for sustainable studio economics while ensuring fair and equitable terms for our valued creative partners, deals were reached that propelled the industry’s return to the storytelling that powers our business.
Her positive effect stretches far beyond our company and industry. She created and championed several diversity and community efforts that will continue to radiate change for years to come. WBD is a longtime supporter of Street Law’s Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, through which Savalle and other members of the legal team engage and uplift young people from diverse communities by giving them insights into real-life law and legal careers. A distinguished graduate of Syracuse University, Savalle hosted the school’s Our Time Has Come program, which unites promising students with mentorship and career insights and opportunities. Savalle partnered with Arent Fox, the law firm where she served as a partner before joining Discovery, to launch The Diversity in Entertainment Fellowship, a 10-week program that gives students committed to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession the opportunity to complete a summer internship focused on legal practices. These remarkable programs and the spirit of giving back that Savalle embodies are an incredible legacy that we will proudly continue.
While Savalle will be with us for a while, we will immediately begin a thorough search for our new head of legal.
Most importantly, please join me in thanking Savalle for her wonderful contributions to our business, to the WBD culture, and to our communities.
David
