Fernando Laguarda has joined Time Warner Cable as vice president of external affairs and policy counselor.

In his new role, Laguarda will report to Steven Teplitz, senior vice president of government relations, and will be based in Time Warner Cable’s Washington, D.C., office.

Time Warner Cable said Laguarda will “play a significant role” in helping the nation’s second-largest cable operator shape its advanced policy positions.

He has assumed primary responsibility for working with third-party policy influencers, including think-tanks, academics, public interest and inter-governmental groups, and diversity organizations.

"Fernando is an accomplished attorney who comes to Time Warner Cable with a unique mix of experiences, and he will bring a fresh perspective to the many policy issues we will be addressing,” Teplitz said, adding, “He knows our business extremely well and will play an essential role in helping to advance Time Warner Cable's advocacy agenda.”

Laguarda was most recently a partner at Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, where he represented a variety of communications clients, including a coalition of digital media companies in successfully opposing increased royalties for Internet music sales. He was previously a partner at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, where he focused on antitrust and telecommunications counseling and litigation.