Carlton legal chief Abdoo to take the helm at merged ITV

Carlton Communications company secretary and general counsel David Abdoo has scooped the company secretary role at the newly merged ITV and is expected to be named as general counsel.

Carlton's key advisers Slaughter and May will be celebrating the appointment, which may lead to the firm becoming ITV's key corporate adviser.

Abdoo told The Lawyer: "It's a fantastic achievement to have got the result of the inquiry after 12 months of hard slog."

He hailed the team effort of his own legal group, Slaughters, Kyla Mullens' Granada team and her competition advisers at Lovells.

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt cleared the proposed merger last week, subject to certain undertakings with the regulatory authorities.

The companies need to complete those undertakings by 7 November. They will then need to post the merger documentation and gain the shareholders' approval. The Communications Act is expected to come into effect on 29 December, which will give the two companies the green light to conclude the court process in mid-January.

By then the future of the legal team, including what role will be offered to Mullens, should begin to take shape.

Abdoo joined Carlton from the corporate department of Clifford Chance in 1988. He was named company secretary and general counsel in 1990.

Granada Group commercial director and Granada Media company secretary and commercial director Graham Parrott has been named as ITV's commercial director. He will report to chief executive Charles Allen, who also comes from Granada.