Jonathan E. Thackeray, former vice president and general counsel of Hearst Communications Inc., died May 2 in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, according to the media giant. He was 83.

Thackeray spent a decade as Hearst’s top lawyer, joining the company in 1993 and retiring in 2003. He arrived at Hearst after serving as outside counsel for Hearst and other mass media companies with a specialty in antitrust law. He also managed the litigation department in the Cleveland office of Baker & Hostetler, the Hearst statement said, where he spent 28 years of his legal career.