About

Theo Dorizac started his legal career in private practice in a small boutique litigation and commercial firm in Wellington, New Zealand where he states he was ‘fortunate to work with one of New Zealand’s top defamation lawyers, which triggered my interest in media’. After nearly five years at that firm, he decided, ‘it was time to spread my wings’, and expand his interest in working in-house for a media organisation. In 2005, he moved to London where he made it his mission to secure an in-house media role. Dorizac secured a role in the legal and compliance team at Channel 4 Television, a role that involved his participation in groundbreaking and ethically challenging content. Dorizac spent over eight years in the legal and compliance team working on series such as Big Brother, 24 Hours in A&E, Wife Swap, The (Un)Dateables, and undercover investigations into the police and Ryanair, and filming in hostile environments such as Afghanistan. ‘During this time I absorbed so much about the media and creative industry, as well as building my expertise in collaborating with independent producers, broadcasters and other legal colleagues. I also increased my experience with defending broadcasters and producers on legal and regulatory matters’, says Dorizac. In his current role, he leads the legal team in the pre-publication work they do with the content creators, including the commissioning team, marketing, digital and radio platforms. He has worked on some key content including Stuggle Street, Go Back to Where you Came From, Eurovision, Deep Water. His roles have also broadened to include working on more strategic and commercial projects, such as the recent Eurovision – Australia Decides live television event and also working with the executive team. ‘In all my in-house roles, I have been fortunate to have had great support from general counsel and other senior executives for my professional development. Recognising potential has been a key starting point, and then following that through with opportunities to build on existing skills and experience, as well as working closely to identify any skills gaps will assist to develop rising stars into in-house industry leaders’, says Dorizac.