Fox Corp. lawyer Adam Ciongoli departs; Nick Trutanich named general counsel.

Fox Corp. said chief legal and policy officer Adam Ciongoli will leave the post on Dec. 1, and executive vice president and principal deputy general counsel Nicholas Trutanich will become the company’s new general counsel. Ciongoli’s contract will not be renewed, but he will stay on as a special adviser to Fox through June 2028.

The change comes as Fox Corp. wrestles with a wave of lawsuits that have hit its news division in recent years. The network has been sued for defamation, for allegedly spreading false election information and for other claims tied to its on‑air personalities. Those cases have cost the company millions and have drawn intense public scrutiny. Ciongoli, who joined Fox in 2019 after a stint at the White House, has been the architect of the legal team’s defensive strategy during that period. His exit signals a shift at a time when the firm is trying to contain legal costs and restore advertiser confidence.

In his new advisory role, Ciongoli will continue to advise on high‑profile matters, but day‑to‑day authority will pass to Trutanich. The 48‑year‑old Trutanich has been with Fox since 2022 and previously served as a U.S. attorney in Nevada, where he built a reputation for managing complex litigation. As principal deputy general counsel, he helped steer the company through several of the recent defamation suits. Analysts say his prosecutorial background could bring a more aggressive posture to Fox’s legal battles.

The transition is likely to affect how Fox handles its ongoing cases and future disputes. Trutanich is expected to review settlement strategies and may push for more pre‑emptive defenses against claims tied to the network’s editorial content. Observers will watch whether the new leadership can reduce the financial drain from litigation and help the company move past the legal turmoil that has shadowed its news brand. The next few months will reveal if the shift in counsel translates into a steadier legal footing for Fox Corp.