NEW YORK - Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) has named Randal S. Milch executive vice president and general counsel, succeeding executive vice president William P. Barr, who on Monday announced he will retire at the end of this year.
"Randy is among the most skilled attorneys in our industry, and we are very fortunate to be able to expand his ability to contribute to our business," said Verizon Chairman and CEO Ivan G. Seidenberg. "He has had a long and distinguished career with an outstanding track record of success in our operations, which will serve Verizon well for years to come."
Milch, 50, will assume his new responsibilities effective Oct. 15. To ensure a seamless transition, Milch will report to Barr until the end of the year. Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, Milch will report to Seidenberg.
Milch is currently general counsel at Verizon Business. He began his career with Verizon when he joined Bell Atlantic in 1993. Prior to his current assignment, he was senior vice president and deputy general counsel for Verizon, responsible for the legal staffs supporting Verizon's domestic telecom business and state regulatory efforts.
Before the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, Milch was associate general counsel at Bell Atlantic with oversight of state regulatory matters in New York and New England. Milch supervised all state regulatory litigation, including litigation arising under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and he was responsible for all state legal aspects of gaining long-distance authority in New York, the first such regulatory relief in the nation. Milch previously served as vice president, general counsel and secretary of Bell Atlantic-Maryland Inc.
Immediately prior to joining Bell Atlantic, Milch was a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine. Milch holds a J.D. from New York University Law School and a B.A. from Yale University.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 69 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 228,600 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.
####