Paramount Skydance announced the appointment of Makan Delrahim, who had advised Skydance on its takeover of Paramount Global, as chief legal officer. He was formerly an assistant attorney general overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division during President Trump’s first term.
Delrahim starts in the new role Oct. 6, 2025, overseeing all legal, regulatory, compliance and public policy matters for the company, including oversight of Paramount’s government relations team. Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, the company’s general counsel and acting chief legal officer, will continue as general counsel and report to Delrahim.
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Notably, as head of DOJ’s Antitrust Division, Delrahim greenlit Disney’s $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets, a deal that closed in 2019. His hiring comes after news broke that David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance, is putting together a bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in its entirety.
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In addition, Delrahim most recently was a partner at law firm Latham & Watkins, where he provided legal counsel to Skydance Media throughout the M&A process that led to the successful acquisition of Paramount Global; the $8 billion deal closed Aug. 7. At Latham, Delrahim, based in L.A., advised clients on high-profile transactions, regulatory and government compliance, and complex litigation.
Ellison said in a statement: “We’re thrilled to welcome Makan to the Paramount leadership team. His longstanding collaboration with the Skydance team gives him a unique perspective and provides a strong foundation for our work together as we pursue our vision for the future of Paramount. Makan brings a strategic mindset and a strong track record of navigating complex, cross-sector challenges — qualities that will be instrumental as we shape the next chapter of Paramount and deliver sustained value to our investors, partners, and audiences.”
Delrahim commented, “I’m honored to join Paramount at such a dynamic and transformative time for the media industry. This is a sector where business, technology, and culture converge in increasingly complex ways, creating both challenges and extraordinary opportunities. Throughout my career, I’ve worked at the intersection of law, policy, and innovation, and I look forward to contributing that experience as part of Paramount’s world-class leadership team. I’m excited to support the company as it continues to lead, evolve, and ultimately help shape the future of entertainment.”
Paramount Skydance said Delrahim is “a recognized expert in antitrust and intellectual property law,” giving lectures on the topics at universities and institutions across the world.
At Latham & Watkins, Delrahim’s clients included private equity firms Apollo, Hellman & Friedman, KKR and Silver Lake, as well as Caesars Entertainment, Cox Media Group, Eldridge Industries, Endeavor/WME, FanDuel, LIV Golf, Oak View Group, Omnicom, Searchlight Capital, UFC and World Poker Tour.
Prior to Latham & Watkins, Delrahim from 2017-21 served as the 35th U.S. assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division under Trump. Prior to that, he held senior posts at the DOJ, on Capitol Hill, at the White House and in the Office of the United States Trade Representative, including serving as deputy assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division; commissioner on the Antitrust Modernization Commission; and chief counsel and chief of staff of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
Delrahim, 55, was born in Tehran, Iran, and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was young. He holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA, a master’s degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from George Washington University Law School. He completed certificate programs in both machine learning and blockchain from MIT’s Sloan Graduate School of Management and completed the certificate program in producing at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
