A passion for new media and digital technology is what drew Jordan McCollum away from law toward a career with Walt Disney Co., where he was recently promoted to vice president and counsel of the Internet group at the Mouse House.

After graduating from Loyola Law School with a J.D. degree in 1996, he became an attorney at the Los Angeles office of O’Melveny & Myers, eventually helping to establish the firm’s new media and technology transactions group.

“The work I was doing with this group was right up my alley. I got to mess around with all the newest gadgets and technology,” he said.

But with the rapid spread of the Internet and other interactive technology in the late 1990s, McCollum decided he was ready for a change.

“I had a pretty good time working at O’Melveny & Myers, but I was really interested in all the things that people were doing with new media, and I felt that at that point, studios were posed to make a difference in the area.”

So, McCollum joined Disney in 2001 as a member of its corporate technology group, and moved to its new media business unit in 2005. As a member of Walt Disney Internet Group, McCollum handled legal issues regarding Disney mobile content.

In his new job he will serve as senior lawyer of the group. His responsibilities will entail overseeing legal matters relating to digital media and interactive entertainment, including Web sites and mobile phone networks. He will give group management legal guidance and advice on issues such as digital distribution, child-safety concerns and legal online gaming communities.

“At the Internet group, we’ve been working with several different technologies and doing lots of different kinds of things in the wireless space. It’s all been really interesting for me.”

Since his appointment, McCollum also has overseen the launch of the DisneyFamily.com Web site. “Starting up our new site has been really rewarding for me,” he said. “Being involved with the launch of a cutting edge online social networking community and making sure that everything ran smoothly was an exciting and informative experience.

“This really is my dream job. Everything we’re doing at Disney right now with new media and new technology is so central, and I feel very lucky getting the chance to be a part of all of this.”

A native Angeleno, McCollum spends much of his free time with his children, a newborn and a teenager coming into her senior year of high school. He enjoys mountain biking and is also an avid video-gamer.

Jessica Yuan