In preparation for spinning off from its parent company next year and eventually becoming a publicly traded entity, Cars.com has hired a chief legal officer.

The company said in a news release Monday it is bringing on former Orbitz executive James Rogers.

Rogers, most recently senior vice president and general counsel for Orbitz Worldwide, will take on the Cars.com CLO role on Oct. 24.

He will head up legal and compliance matters for Cars.com. That includes the legal-related aspects of strategic initiatives as well as acquisition-related legal and integration areas.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jim to the Cars.com family as we prepare to become an independent, publicly-traded company once we spin from TEGNA in 2017,” Cars.com president and chief executive officer Alex Vetter said in a news release.

“It’s an important time in the history of our company and we are confident Jim's extensive legal experience and understanding, particularly in the public company sector, will make him a tremendous addition to our leadership team as we continue to grow,” Vetter said.

Rogers has worked in law for more than three decades, including his time as senior VP and general counsel for LASIK provider TLC Vision and practicing at the Washington office of Latham & Watkins law firm.

Part of his time with TLC included preparing the company’s main business unit for a sale; at Latham & Watkins, his experience included heading up a corporate practice counseling tech sector clients on various legal and business matters.

“Cars.com is an innovator and leader in the rapidly expanding digital automotive industry and I'm pleased to be joining the team,” Rogers said. “I look forward to helping to navigate the opportunities presented as the company enters this new phase in its storied history.”