Starz has tapped longtime Disney exec Jim Kapenstein to serve as the company’s new chief legal and strategy officer. Kapenstein will join Starz next week and report to president/CEO Jeffrey Hirsch, who announced the news on Monday.

According to the company, Kapenstein “will be responsible for developing and leading the strategic direction of business and legal affairs for the company, including distribution, content acquisition, production, litigation, employment matters and legal and regulatory compliance.” He’ll also “play a central role in leading strategic corporate transactions, including M&A, while overseeing the company’s governance and broader public company responsibilities.”

Kapenstein replaces former Starz general counsel Audrey Lee, who recently retired, and former chief strategy officer John Penney.

“Few executives bring the breadth of experience Jim does with his involvement in some of the largest transactions in media history,” said Hirsch in a statement. “His insight into guiding organizations through periods of transformation will be invaluable to us as we enter into our next phase of growth.”

Kapenstein spent almost 30 years at Disney, most recently as deputy general counsel. His oversight of mergers, acquisitions and divestures, joint ventures, antitrust, corporate finance, social responsibility, strategic transactions and alliances, consumer payments, corporate structuring & governance and beyond included major transactions including the acquisitions of 21^st Century Fox, Hulu, Fubo, Lucas Films, Marvel and Pixar, among others, as well as ESPN’s equity investment with the NFL.

“I am honored to join Jeff and the Starz team at such an exciting time in the company’s growth and evolution,” said Kapenstein in a statement. “Starz has built an exceptional, profitable digital streaming business. I am looking forward to helping Jeff and his team shape the next stage of its growth and drive strategic direction through disciplined expansion, capitalizing on existing market opportunities and maintaining a best-in-class legal and corporate governance framework.”

Kapenstein began his career at Arent & Fox in Washington, D.C.; he later was a senior associate at Alston & Bird.