Staffing: Entertainment law hires in Washington, Chicago, L.A.

Recent odds and ends:

• The FCC has hired ICO Global Communications general counsel John Flynn to serve as senior counsel to the chairman for transactions. First up for Flynn: overseeing the FCC's review of the Comcast-NBC Universal deal.

• Chicago-based entertainment lawyers Thomas Leavens, Peter Strand and Jerry Glover have combined forces in a new firm, one of the few showbiz-only firms in the Windy City. Together, the trio have repped Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Inc., Telepictures and music website publisher Pitchfork Media Inc.     

• Jennifer Choe Groves, IP expert for the past five years in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, has joined Hughes Hubbard in the firm’s Washington office as partner. Her government job was to negotiate and implement the IP provisions of international trade agreements.

• Scott Edelman at Gibson Dunn is handling Warner Bros.' defense of the massive self-dealing lawsuit filed by the creators of "Smallville." Expect a response to the complaint soon. 

• John Branca was honored by UCLA Law School as an alumnus of the year on Friday at the California Club in downtown L.A. Many of the Ziffren Brittenham partners were there to support Branca, who's been busy this year as executor of the Michael Jackson estate.