Katherine Lauderdale

Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary

As Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of PBS, Katherine Lauderdale manages the Office of the Chief Legal Officer, which includes oversight of the Legal, Business Affairs, and Standards & Practices departments, as well as the Corporate Secretary’s Office. Lauderdale assumed this role in 2016 after leading these teams as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.

Among her responsibilities, Lauderdale oversees all legal areas including intellectual property, litigation, regulatory, labor, corporate and other matters. She directs board affairs and other governance matters; is responsible for the business affairs unit negotiating all contracts relating to content; and has oversight responsibility for PBS’ relationships at federal agencies. As the head of the Standards & Practices department, Lauderdale ensures compliance with FCC underwriting and indecency regulations; administers PBS sponsorship policies; and advises senior management on editorial standards designed to preserve the integrity of PBS content services.

Prior to joining PBS in June 2002, Lauderdale was Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, and General Counsel at WTTW in Chicago, where she served in various legal, business and business affairs capacities. Lauderdale is a graduate of New York University Law School and began her legal career as an associate at the Chicago law firm of Schiff, Hardin & Waite.