International law firm Reed Smith has announced the appointment of Nick Swimer to its partnership. Nick will join the firm on 5 December from Channel 4, where he has been the Head of Legal for Governance, Regulatory and Trading as well as holding the post of Corporation Secretary.

Nick's role at Channel 4 has given him deep experience in key legal issues for media companies, in particular broadcasting regulation, advertising, intellectual property management, and content production and distribution. His expertise will be of value to UK and foreign broadcasters, television production companies and many other players in the television and digital multi-platform industries.

Stephen Edwards, Reed Smith media partner, commented:
"Nick is a highly experienced and respected television industry lawyer, with whom we have enjoyed working over a number of years, and we are delighted that he is joining our team. His arrival will reinforce our position as a leading firm in the television and digital media industries. It's a key step for us as we continue to develop the firm's media and entertainment practice both here in the UK and in our offices in other countries."

Nick Swimer added: "The role is the logical next step for me. Everyone in the sector knows just how good the Media and Technology team is here, so it's also a great honour to be a part of it. I'm looking forward to bringing my broadcasting experience gained during the past six years at Channel 4 to support the excellent services already provided by the firm."