DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth announced the promotion of David Korduner to General Counsel of the Guild today. Korduner has served as Associate General Counsel since May 2005 and previously from 1995-2001.
“This is the finest position a lawyer could wish to hold,” Korduner said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the Guild and its members and to shepherd its Legal Department. I am honored to be entrusted with this responsibility and look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”
Korduner first served as Associate General Counsel of the Guild from 1995-2001 before becoming Senior Counsel, Labor Relations, at ABC/Touchstone Television and Senior Counsel, Legal Affairs, at Disney/ABC Cable Networks. He rejoined the Guild staff in 2005. As DGA Associate General Counsel, he has overseen the resolution of grievances, arbitration of claims and litigation, working with the Guild's departments on a variety of issues, including compensation, residuals, credits, membership, internal governance, and participating in negotiations and contract drafting.
“We are thrilled to have David serve in this critical role on behalf of the membership,” Roth said. “David has developed great expertise in handling the Guild’s most pressing issues and his many years of labor and entertainment law practice will be a tremendous asset to us.”
Korduner succeeds Robert S. Giolito, who has served as DGA General Counsel since 2002. Giolito will head the newly-opened Los Angeles office of the New York-based labor entertainment law firm Spivak, Lipton, Watanabe, Spivak, Moss & Orfan LLP.
DGA National Executive Director Jay Roth said, “Bob has served the Guild and its members with great skill and resolve. We wish him the best as he embarks on the next stage of his career.”
A Los Angeles native, Korduner received a B.A. with Honors in Economics from UC-Santa Cruz in 1985 and an M.Sc in Planning Studies from the London School of Economics in 1987, before earning his law degree from the UCLA School of Law in 1992. He was in a civil litigation practice before coming on board with the DGA in 1995.
