Steve Chung

Steve Chung is the chief counsel for Disney Entertainment Television (DET) and The Walt Disney Company’s world-class streaming platforms, Disney+ and Hulu. In his role, Chung acts as a strategic advisor to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden and manages all legal efforts related to the production of Disney’s television programs and the management of Disney television networks and streaming platforms. He leads a team that provides guidance and collaborates with specialists within the company on a diverse range of areas, including labor, talent contracts, employment, litigation, intellectual property and rights management, among many others. Chung oversees a team of attorneys and other legal professionals responsible for Disney’s Global Technology as well as Disney Entertainment brands ABC, ABC News, ABC Owned Televisions Stations, Disney Branded Television, Disney+, Disney Television Studios, Freeform, FX, Hulu, National Geographic and Onyx Collective, which collectively produce thousands of hours of critically acclaimed television a year for audiences around the world. He also leads Standards & Practices for all of Disney’s TV networks.

Prior to joining The Walt Disney Company, Chung held the position of senior vice president, NBCUniversal Legal, where he served as attorney for the “TODAY Show,” Owned Stations Group, NBC Sports, NBC Entertainment News and NBCU Television Distribution Group (syndicated talk shows). He counseled clients on intellectual property, First Amendment, regulatory, compliance, litigation, advertising, privacy, employment, digital and transactional matters. Chung was also a founding member of NBCUniversal’s diversity committee for the law department, serving as the head of the group for a term.

Chung is deeply committed to giving back to the Los Angeles legal and broader professional community through mentorship, education and advocacy. Within Disney, he has collaborated to create a mentorship program that pairs legal professionals with executives, offering hands-on experience and leadership development opportunities. Additionally, Chung launched an innovative international practice group for Disney’s content lawyers, allowing lawyers across Disney’s worldwide offices to coordinate, learn from each other, and operate uniformly as a practice group. Previously, he founded the Asian American Bar Association of New York’s (AABANY) Mentorship Program — still active today — which has supported hundreds of Pan-Asian attorneys with career guidance and networking opportunities. He is also an active supporter of APIA Scholars, a leading nonprofit dedicated to the educational and professional advancement of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, and has worked with The Bruce Wells Scholars Upward Bound Program to provide academic support and mentorship to first-generation, low-income students. Through these efforts, Chung has built a legacy of uplifting others, expanding access to leadership pathways, and fostering a professional pipeline that extends far beyond the entertainment industry.

Chung’s leadership and impact have been recognized across the industry, including being named to Variety’s In-House Legal Elite in 2024 and receiving Ascend’s prestigious A List award, recognizing the most influential Pan-Asians in business.

Before his legal career, Chung was a management consultant focused on data analytics, creating prediction models for data-rich industries, and working with the leadership of Fortune 500 companies to adopt new strategies. Chung holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.