Inside
4Q2012
2...Champion the Right to Practice Pro Bono in Your State
4...Rewarding Chapter Day of Service at the Atlanta Food Bank
4...Welcome New Members!
5...ACC-Georgia Member Spotlight: Jackie N. Harris, Jr.
6...What Keeps Corporate Counsel Up at Night?
6...Chapter Monthly Luncheons
7...November Monthly Luncheon Photos
9...Acc-georgia Appreciates Our 2012 Sponsors
10...ACC News
focus
President’s Message
Martha McMillin
Kudos and Thank you
Although this message will run
in December, I am writing it at
Thanksgiving, our great national feast
day which celebrates and gives thanks
for the bounty of the harvest. It is a
time of reflection and gratitude that
fits how I feel right now. As my time as
President is winding down, I am grateful that we had an excellent year and
truly appreciate the volunteer spirit
of our chapter. All of our members
are very busy in their jobs and home
life, but we still managed to provide a
rich harvest of programs and events,
internships, pro bono and service
activities, and social gatherings. I especially appreciate our talented Board:
• President–Elect Joe Freeman and
Immediate Past President Virginia
Wadsworth: Virginia’s wisdom and
experience as past president and
Joe’s steady, sensible advice have
been a blessing. I could not have
had a better sounding board than
these two when significant decisions needed to be made and greatly
appreciate their support, vision and
leadership.
• Secretary Sheri McGaughy is the
consummate professional, taking
minutes on her laptop during the
Board meeting, circulating them the
next day while they are fresh, and
generally following this approach
with everything she
does. She keeps her
commitments and
executes flawlessly.
• Treasurer Neil Ginn
kept our finances in
good order, does what
he promises, meets his
deadlines, and ensured
our bank account remains healthy.
Neil’s good work promotes confidence so I am grateful I never had
to worry about our chapter finances
because Neil kept them so well.
• Vice-President, Sponsorships and
Programs, Wanda Morris provided
the strong leadership that garnered
eleven top notch monthly CLE
luncheons sponsored by leading
law firms; worked with Maggiano’s
to improve our luncheon experience, including varied menus (so
important to hungry lawyers); and
investigated alternative locations,
concluding that the current location
is best. Kudos also to her committee members Mellaney Douce, Katie
Helton and Ajay Jindia for supporting these efforts.
• Vice-President, Outreach
Initiatives, Rachel Gervin is a
dynamic visionary who saw the
need to revamp our summer law
student internship program and led
it to an even better experience for
the interns and sponsor companies.
Similarly, she created a
Day of Service opportunity that attracted
the largest number of
volunteers that we have
had in recent memory.
She built a strong committee which included
Kali Beyah, Mark Brown,
Amy Loggins, Jacki Green, Tonya
Johnson, and Wanda Morris.
• Vice-President, Membership,
Creighton Frommer has been a
“go to” guy all year. Always ready to
pitch in and help with everything
from writing articles and taking
photos to stepping into leading this
Committee, Creighton is working on ambitious plans to celebrate
ACC’s 30th anniversary next year.
He also has built an excellent committee of Kara Hinrichs, Brandy
Micklewright, Timothy Phillips and
Katie Ray.
• Vice-President, Special Programs,
Paul Marcella provided strong
leadership in expanding our special
events programming and offering creative events. He worked by
himself most of the year on this
ambitious programming effort but
has now assembled a committee of
Elizabeth Robertson, Chandra Hall,
George Sewell, Shaun Willie and Jim
Thomas to assist.
continued on page Join the Movement: Champion the Right to Practice Pro Bono in Your State
By China Terrell, Senior Counsel and Director of Advocacy
“Collectively, we have a voice that individually none of us would have.” A member
offered poignant insight, as he and I chatted about the values and vision of ACC
Advocacy.
“And as part of its advocacy, ACC puts
members on the front line of speaking directly with decision-makers. This
benefits companies. It also helps members
offer unique value in advising clients,” the
member added.
As one of the advocacy directors, I didn’t
need to be sold. What we realized, however, was that members needed to know
what ACC Advocacy could do — for them
as practitioners, for their legal landscape,
and in some cases for their need sometimes to go beyond negotiating contracts
to having a beneficial impact on lives.
What ACC Advocacy Does
ACC Advocacy offers you the opportunity to influence public policy to improve
the practice of law for corporate counsel
around the world. Through its advocacy
efforts, ACC is the voice of the in-house
bar. And we use that voice to effect real
change — change that clarifies our legal
responsibilities, illuminates the path
forward for your clients, and protects your
ability to practice law. For these outcomes,
ACC’s Board of Directors has declared that
advocacy is mission critical work for ACC.
“In a nutshell, advocacy goes to the heart
of our zealous representation of our clients’
interests. We are concerned about the scope
of the permitted roles and responsibilities
of in-house counsel and — importantly
— the restrictions and limitations on inhouse counsels’ ability to practice,” stated
Jon Oviatt, immediate Past Chair of ACC.
“We are concerned about our ability to
work in multiple jurisdictions, in a global
setting, and about protecting the attorneyclient privilege, as well as our ability to
participate in pro bono activities. Inhouse counsel should be free from fears
that they will be called to task by regulators
for events over which they have no control
or culpability,” said Mr. Oviatt, while lead-
Georgia Chapter FOCUS 4Q12
ing a panel on advocacy at ACC’s Annual
Meeting 2012.
The Historical Perspective
gave analysis and guidance to in-house
counsel.
• Attorney Client Privilege and
Protected Work Product: ACC
protested proposed changes to the FAS
5 financial loss contingency disclosure rules. As a result, the Financial
Accounting Standards Board tabled
their proposals indefinitely.
Since its founding in 1982, ACC has
played a game-changing role in influencing policies that expand opportunities for
corporate counsel to practice and perfect
their craft. Often times, ACC successfully
advocates for its position; at other times,
ACC is successful in
re-shaping the public
debate, offering criti“In a nutshell, advocacy goes
cal input policy makto the heart of our zealous
ers can use to refine
representation of our clients’
their understanding
interests.”
of problems affecting
corporate counsel.
—Jon Oviatt,
ACC’s Advocacy
Focus for 2012-2013
Today, our advocacy
goals include building on the strength
of this legacy by
increasing ACC’s
amicus curiae pracImmediate Past Chair of ACC tice and providing
Consider these
members increased
highlights of ACC
access to regulators
Advocacy’s global impact in just the past
under the ACC mantle. “Because we feel
decade:
that continued and increased advocacy is
• Right to Practice: In response to the
essential to the future of in-house practice,
California Supreme Court’s decision in
we are continuing to focus heavily on it,”
Birbower, Montalbano, Condon & Frank declared Danette Wineberg, Chair of the
PC, et al., v. ESQ Business Services, Inc.,
Advocacy Committee for ACC’s Board of
ACC co-led a coalition that develDirectors.
oped the “Common Sense Proposal
for Multijurisdictional Practice.” The
To that end, the Advocacy Committee has
ABA’s Multi-jurisdictional Practice
declared a multi-year strategic focus on
Commission relied on the proposal
Right to Practice. “ACC has, over recent
and ACC’s work eventually led to the
years, achieved important successes on
approval and passage of ABA Model
‘right to practice’ issues; however, much
Rule 5.5.
remains to be done in order to achieve
• Attorney-Client Privilege and
our goals, including pro bono practice
Government Investigations: ACC
rights for in-house counsel,” stated Ms.
led a coalition and offered congressioWineberg.
nal testimony, against a United States
Department of Justice (DOJ) policy that That “Right to Practice” is the stratewould have allowed federal prosecugic focus for 2012-2013 means that as
tors to ask companies to waive attorney
an organization, ACC will prioritize its
client privilege as a condition to reach
resources to get real outcomes on securing
settlements. The DOJ changed course
greater freedom of movement for in-house
after an ACC-supported bill passed
counsel. “We will of course continue to
without opposition in the House.
take advantage of opportunities that arise,
• Legal Professional Privilege: ACC
and we will be vigilant in working to stay
intervened in Akzo Nobel Chemicals
ahead of issues that others initiate and that
LTD v. EC (Case-550/07) to support
could negatively impact in-house counsel.
extending legal professional privilege to
We also want to be pro-actively engaged as
in-house counsel. Although the privian organization,” explained Ms. Wineberg
lege was not extended as ACC advoat a recent working session with Chapter
cated, ACC quickly developed online
Presidents and Advocacy Liaisons.
resources that explained the impact and
continued on page continued from page To ensure that State bars, governments,
and regulatory agencies around the world
continue to recognize the sophistication
and competence of the in-house bar, ACC
is advancing three positions on Right to
Practice:
1. The rules of practice must reflect the
realities of a modern business world
– where technology and globalization
render distance and geography increasingly irrelevant.
2. Companies should have the freedom to
move their legal talent, where that talent
is needed most.
3. In-house counsel who work in one state
but are barred in another, should have
the right to serve pro bono in the state
where they work.
Champion the Right to Practice
Pro Bono
Spotlighting the right to practice pro bono,
the work of ACC and its pro bono arm,
Corporation Pro Bono (CPBO), a partnership with the Pro Bono Institute (PBI),
gained increased momentum this year. In
states across the country, courts and state
bar associations realized that corporate
counsel who work in the state, but are not
barred there, represent a critical resource
for serving unmet legal needs.
This movement touched a milestone on
July 25, 2012, when the Conference of
Chief Justices and the Conference of State
Court Administrators adopted Resolution
11, encouraging states to amend their
practice rules to allow non-locally licensed
corporate counsel to provide pro bono
services, subject to the local rules of
professional conduct. ACC, CPBO, and
PBI championed the cause by testifying in
support of the resolution and mobilizing
nearly 350 general counsel to sign a letter
advocating for its adoption.
Through Resolution 11, the Conference
of Chief Justices the Conference of State
Court Administrators affirmed that
corporate social responsibility is a viable
and desirable response to access to justice
challenges:
[R]epresentation of individuals who
cannot afford counsel is essential to
the efficient operation of state court
systems; and
* * * in every state and territory,
current levels of civil legal assistance
are inadequate to meet the civil legal
needs of individuals who cannot
afford counsel; and
* * * all members of the legal community are needed in addressing this
access to justice problem in the United
States, including providing pro bono
legal services; and
* * * attorneys who practice law
for their organization or company
employers (“in-house counsel”) are a
growing source of such pro bono legal
services ***.
Although nearly half of the states currently
have provisions authorizing non-locally
licensed in-house counsel to serve pro
bono, many of these provisions impose
unnecessary restrictions, such as supervisory or affiliation requirements, that
can impede an in-house lawyer’s ability
to serve. Underscoring “the sophistication, the experience, and the capacity” of
in-house counsel, ACC advocates for the
adoption of practice rules without such
restrictions so as to maximize the benefit
that in-house counsel can provide in helping to meet legal needs.
ACC points to the practice rules of two
states as models of best practice: Virginia
and Colorado. Virginia permits and
encourages certified in-house attorneys to
provide pro bono services directly, subject
only to Rule 6.1 of the Virginia Rules of
Professional Conduct. V.S.C.R. 1A:5 Part
I(g). In Colorado, certified in-house counsel may provide voluntary pro bono service to indigent persons and organizations
serving indigent persons. C.R.C.P 222.
Today, practice rule amendments are being
proposed or are pending in no less than
five additional states, including Florida,
Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York,
and Ohio. In each of these states ACC
Advocacy, CPBO, and PBI, are guiding
the ground swell for change, including
through educating stakeholders, mobilizing chief legal officers as needed to advocate for change, and filing comment letters
Resolution 11, “In Support of Practice Rules
Enabling In-house Counsel to Provide Pro Bono
Legal Services,” Conference Of Chief Justices, July
25, 2012. Adopted as proposed by the CCJ Professionalism and Competence of the Bar Committee
and the CCJ/COSCA Access, Fairness and Public
Trust Committee at the 2012 Annual Meeting on
July 25, 2012.
2012. Pro Bono Institute. “Multijurisdictional
Practice: In-House Counsel Pro Bono” Pro Bono
Institute: Washington DC.
November 7, 2012. ACC Letter to the Minnesota
Clerk of Appellate Courts (supporting amending
Minnesota bar admission rules to allow in-house
lawyers with house counsel status to provide pro
bono services).
with high courts to advocate for the best
practice rule amendment.
ACC was also active in Iowa, which
amended its practice rules on September
13, 2012. Iowa’s practice rules now permit
registered lawyers “to provide pro bono
legal services through an established
not-for-profit bar association, pro bono
program or legal services program, or
through such [organizations] specifically
authorized in [Iowa].” Rule 31.16(3)b.
ACC is proud that its members are on the
front lines of increasing access to justice as
a matter of corporate social responsibility.
As the nation struggles to recover from
one of the worst recessions in history, the
time is now to create more help for those
who need it most.
The Honorable Fern Fisher, who serves
as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for
New York City Courts and has state-wide
responsibility for access to justice issues,
aptly summarized the need that confronts
the courts, “Court systems around the
nation are already taxed. In New York, we
are only just beginning to see the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy play out in
the legal system.”
Now, more than ever, we need in-house
counsel to help close the gap between limited legal resources and rising legal need.
Join ACC in removing barriers to pro
bono for in-house counsel working outside
their home jurisdictions. State efforts are
successful because of volunteers like you
who help lead local efforts.
Please contact China Terrell, Senior
Counsel and Director of Advocacy, at
[email protected] or 202.293.4103 x386 to
learn more about your state’s efforts or to
discuss initiating the process to amend
your state’s practice rules.
Call to action :
Join ACC in removing barriers to pro
bono for in-house counsel working outside
their home jurisdictions. State efforts are
successful because of volunteers like you
who help lead local efforts.
Sheri McGaughy,Vice-President of
Communications, serves as the ACCGeorgia Advocacy Liaison. Please contact
her at [email protected] with
questions or suggestions for ACC-Georgia
advocacy efforts.
Rewarding Chapter Day of Service at the Atlanta Food Bank
Rachel Gervin, Vice-President, Outreach,
and her committee organized one of
the most successful Days of Service our
chapter has had. In the past, we have held
this event on a Saturday but noticed that it
can be difficult to garner volunteers on the
weekend. This year’s Day of Service was
held on Wednesday afternoon, October
3 at the Atlanta Food Bank. We co-sponsored the event with our colleagues from
the Atlanta Bar Association Corporate
Counsel section, ending up with a great
turn out of 16 people who thoroughly
enjoyed the experience. It is impressive
that American Safety Insurance (ASI),
one of the chapter’s member companies,
is supportive of the volunteer efforts of
its employees and sent its entire Legal
Department: Randolph L. Hutto, General
Counsel; Jackie N. Harris, Jr., Senior
Counsel; and Benson Jefferies, Director
of Regulatory Services. The volunteers
sorted frozen meat and other grocery
items donated from local grocery stores.
By the end of the shift, over 12,000 pounds
of food were boxed, enough to feed over
8,300 people. Rachel reports that the staff
of the Product Rescue Center were great
to work with and that everyone enjoyed a
rewarding experience.
ACC-Georgia
members teamed
with volunteers from
the Atlanta Bar
Association-Corporate
Counsel Section for a
very successful Joint
Day of Service at the
Atlanta Community
Food Bank
Welcome New Members!
Amy Atkinson, MARC Life
Jeana Brown, Advanc-ED
Evan Cohn, Georgia Power Company
Heather Darden, RaceTrac
Petroleum, Inc.
Michael Francesconi, United Parcel
Service of America, Inc.
Paige Freeman, MARC Life
Leesha Fuller-Andrews, GeorgiaPacific LLC
Georgia Chapter FOCUS 4Q12
Joseph Hession, Beazer Homes USA,
Inc.
Henry Hsu, Assurant Solutions
Michael Kerns, Georgia-Pacific LLC
Justin Mann, Cambridge Energy LLC
Lindsay McClellan, Southern
Company Services, Inc.
Meredith Milby, Americold
Chip Parker, Attorney
Kevin Pitre, United Parcel Service of
America, Inc.
Pamela Roper, Cousins Properties
Incorporated
Christopher Rosselli, Delta Air Lines
Inc.
Julie Summers, AGCO Corporation
Steven Welch, Arrow Exterminators,
Inc
ACC-Georgia Member Spotlight: Jackie N. Harris, Jr.
This quarter’s Member Spotlight features
Jackie Harris, a regular attendee at the
monthly luncheons and an enthusiastic
volunteer at the Chapter Day of Service.
Jackie has this to say about that work:
“[i]t was one of the most gratifying and eye
opening experiences one could have. It was
awesome to see the amount of volunteers
from various parts of the city come
together to serve our brethren with such
passion, enthusiasm and zeal. Likewise,
it was satisfying to know that in just three
hours we were able to sort enough food to
prepare over 8000 meals. Because of that
experience, we have decided to definitely
volunteer again in the near future.”
1. Where do you work?
American Safety Insurance (NYSE:
ASI). We are a Bermuda-based specialty
insurance and reinsurance holding
company with US insurance and offshore
reinsurance operations. I work at our U.S.
headquarters at 100 Galleria Parkway SE,
Ste. 700, Atlanta, Georgia 30339.
2. What is your job title and what are your
duties?
I am the Senior Counsel, Corporate
Legal Department, and provide legal and
support services to all of the business and
operational divisions/units, including
underwriting, finance, marketing, and IT.
The services include corporate compliance
and risk management, alternative risk
transfer, reinsurance, captive reinsurance,
product development, contracts and
general corporate matters.
3. Please describe the legal department at
your company.
We currently have four people in our
corporate legal department which includes
the General Counsel, senior counsel and
two directors of regulatory service. We
handle all of the legal and regulatory affairs
affecting the company both nationally and
internationally, including regulatory filings
and reporting, mergers and acquisitions,
strategic planning, SOX and ethics
compliance, contracts, risk management
and general corporate matters.
4. How did your career path lead to an inhouse role?
I was an assistant attorney general for the
Louisiana Attorney General’s Office
where I focused on Insurance Companies
Conservations, Rehabilitations,
Liquidations and Securities. Through
this experience, I developed a passion
for the business and operations side of
corporations and insurance and knew
I eventually wanted to work in house.
Fortunately, once I relocated to Atlanta, the
opportunity to work in house at ASI came
about and I have enjoyed the experience
ever since.
5. What do you most enjoy about your work?
The fast paced nature of working for a
specialty insurance company. It is great to
work in a niche area of insurance where
the products, offerings, and solutions are
unique and ever changing.
6. What is most challenging about your
work?
The great joy of working for a specialty
insurance company is also the most
challenging. We have to understand
and keep abreast of all of the company’s
different and unique products, various
laws and statutes both nationally and
internationally.
7. What has been your biggest
accomplishment at your company?
As of this date, I would say one of my
biggest accomplishments at ASI is when
I become an intricate part of our fully
funded and alternative risk business team.
For the past four years I have been able to
assist in the creation, development and
major growth of this particular product.
8. How long have you been a member of
ACC-Georgia?
7 years
9. What are the best benefits of ACCGeorgia membership?
Some of the best benefits of the ACCGeorgia membership are the monthly
lunch seminars; the ACC Docket; and the
various ways to volunteer through the
ACC-Georgia chapter.
10. Now for some personal questions:
• Your favorite burger is from: the Varsity?
Or Flip? Varsity
• Dog person or cat person? Dog person
• Morning person or evening person?
Morning person. The earlier the better.
• Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts? Krispy
Kreme
• Boiled peanuts: thumbs up or thumbs
down?
• Favorite non-profit? Atlanta Union
Mission
• Favorite hobby? Running and traveling
• Name the actor or actress whose appearance in a movie guarantees you will go to
see it. Denzel Washington
• If you could go anywhere in the world for
free for two weeks, where would that be?
Rome Italy
• If you were not a lawyer, what would
be your alternate career path? Medical
Doctor
What Keeps Corporate Counsel Up at Night?
By Sutherland Asbill & Brennan
On October 9, 2012, the ACC-Georgia
Chapter held its monthly luncheon program sponsored by Sutherland Asbill &
Brennan LLP. The topic for the discussion
was “What Keeps Corporate Counsel Up
at Night,” which became a very interactive conversation about issues facing many
of the ACC-Georgia Chapter members
and their colleagues. Presenting on behalf
of Sutherland were firm partners Peter
J. Anderson and Marc A. Rawls, along
with Julianne Belaga, Vice President
and Assistant General Counsel, Global
Acquisitions, with Avnet, Inc.
The presentation opened with a frank
discussion of corporate counsel’s priorities
when dealing with governmental investigations, both civil and criminal, including the appropriate reactions to requests
to cover investigation expenses. The
presenters also highlighted the importance of reviewing indemnification and
advancement clauses in bylaws and D&O
(Director and Officer) and E&O (Errors
and Omissions) policies that a company
may have purchased. The speakers also
discussed the levels of necessary preparation when “stuff has hit the fan”: crisis
prevention measures and crisis response
actions. Crisis prevention measures
included development of clear policies and
internal controls as well as regular training
to ensure compliance with policies, proce-
dures, and reporting guidelines. In crisis
response situations, corporate counsel
should consider the timing of bringing in
outside counsel and their role as in-house
counsel to any special committees brought
in to deal with a crisis or investigation.
The panelists reminded the attendees that
in any crisis, corporate counsel need to
remember that they represent the company, not the employees, and often the first
best response to an officer is generally, “I
am not your personal lawyer.”
The next subject area discussed crucial to
corporate counsel who work for companies with international dealings was the
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
and the UK Bribery Act. After presenting a visual map of the countries where
corruption is most prevalent, the speakers defined the differences between the
provisions of FCPA and the UK Bribery
Act and then outlined key factors in this
topic that also keep corporate counsel
awake at night – the use of third-party
providers, new acquisitions and contracts,
and facilitation payments. To reign in
third parties, attendees were advised that
a company must clearly communicate its
anti-bribery policies and demand reciprocal compliance as well as require annual
certification and reporting of any violations. Companies active in acquisitions or
other deals and contracts should consider
creating customized due diligence questionnaires before finalizing terms. In some
cases, the panelists cautioned as companies
may become liable for the pre-acquisition
conduct of acquired companies, requiring
thorough document review and possibly
undertaking interviews of key personnel
in various departments to gain a better
understanding of the target company’s
compliance with anti-bribery provisions
is a prerequisite to a lower risk profile.
Companies with international interests
need to carefully consider the definition
of a “foreign official” and the variable
characterization of gifts and gratuities that
may be seen as facilitation payments under
the definitions of either FCPA or the UK
Bribery Act. Again, diligent monitoring
of activities, regular reviews of compliance policies, and employee training are
key areas where in-house counsel can take
action to help prevent issues from becoming violations, reported the panelists.
Any ACC-Georgia member who would
like a copy of the presentation materials
or Sutherland’s checklists on best practices
for internal investigations and for FCPA
compliance should contact Peter Anderson
(404.853.8414, peter.anderson@sutherland.
com) or Marc Rawls (404.853.8058,
[email protected]).
Chapter Monthly Luncheons
Reminder: ACC-Georgia chapter monthly luncheons are always on the second Tuesday of each
month at 11:30 a.m. at Maggiano’s at Cumberland Mall.
Mark your calendar for the next luncheon on Tuesday, January 8
and watch for registration information.
As always, if your plans change at the last minute, please let chapter administrator Lisa Smith know
that you cannot attend by contacting her at [email protected].
Georgia Chapter FOCUS 4Q12
November Monthly
Luncheon Photos
Many thanks to Swift Currie
for sponsoring our interesting
November CLE program at the
monthly luncheon.
Members enjoy visiting
before the meeting
(l-r) presenters
Jim Johnson and
Pamela Lee;
Joe Freeman
and Martha
McMillin of
ACC-GA;
presenter
Bobby Potter;
Wanda Morris
of ACC-GA
continued from page • At large directors Kali Beyah, Seth
Bruckner, Eric Hilton, Sloane
Perras and Kelly Wilcove are energetic, ambitious leaders. As at large
directors, they do not lead committees, but each pitched in where
needed on committees, drafting
policies and providing wise advice.
Thanks also to Board members who
had to end their terms early but provided valuable service before departing: Monique McNeill, Vice-President
of Communications and her committee of Joe Freeman, Matt Schwartz,
Kara Hinrichs, Rachel Gervin, John
Tanner and Kelly Wilcove; Amy
Loggins, Vice-President, Membership;
and Keith Henderson, member at
large.
Appreciation is due two additional
committees: (1) the Audit Committee
consisting of Debra Kupar, Mary
Ulmer-Jones and Nancy Kumar, who
determined our practices are sound
but gave several helpful recommendations and (2) the special committee of
past presidents convened to compile
the chapter’s policies and practices
adopted over many years, chaired
by Betsy Griswold and consisting
of George Sewell, John Tanner, Lori
Shapiro and Teresa Kennedy.
Last, special thanks to chapter administrator Lisa Smith, the glue who has
supported our chapter for years, and to
all of our law firm sponsors, listed in
this newsletter.
2012 Accomplishments
With the help of all of these strong
leaders, many things were accomplished for our chapter in 2012:
eleven monthly CLE luncheons; six
Special Programs; support for three
national conferences/programs in
Atlanta (NAMWOLF, MCCA, and
ATLAS); sponsorship of three law
Georgia Chapter FOCUS 4Q12
student summer internships at six
member companies; sponsorship
of one intern under the Atlanta Bar
Association’s high school student
summer intern program; donations
to Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta
(our generosity supports a significant
portion of their budget), Emory’s EPIC
program, and the Atlanta Volunteer
Lawyers Foundation; and the Joint
Day of Service with the Atlanta Bar
Association’s Corporate Counsel
Section at the Atlanta Community
Food Bank. Led by Monique McNeill
and her Communications committee, ACC-Georgia partnered with the
Atlanta Business Chronicle to launch
the successful inaugural Corporate
Counsel Awards. The worthy finalists
and winners demonstrated to business readers the strength and talent
of our in-house counsel in Georgia
and gave recognition to our valuable
work. We were also proud that in June,
the Legal Department at The Home
Depot was named one of ACC’s Value
Champions, a significant national
honor.
While the items above are visible to
our members, this year the Board also
focused on behind the scenes initiatives. Board members prepared job
descriptions and road maps for their
work so that their successors can be
on-boarded more efficiently. A concerted effort was made to increase
committee membership in order to
build a base of knowledgeable and
experienced members who can be in
line for leadership. Thanks to at-large
member Eric Hilton, policies for
conflicts of interest and record retention were drafted and approved. Over
the years, the Board has approved
a number of policies and practices
that were not reduced to writing in
one place, so the committee of past
presidents chaired by Betsy Griswold
(see above) compiled these for the
Board. We received feedback in the last
member survey for meetings in varied
metropolitan Atlanta locations so this
was investigated. We looked for locations on the south side, north side, and
Perimeter area but could not locate
many options that are large enough
to hold a business presentation and
reception for the number of attendees
that our sponsors like to see. If any
members have specific suggestions
for a venue, please advise Elizabeth
Robertson, the 2013 Vice-President,
Special Programs. Similarly, to see if
we had better options for our monthly
luncheons, Wanda Morris and her
Programs Committee researched alternatives but determined that Maggiano’s
at Cumberland Mall remains our best
choice. Maggiano’s has the best prices,
variety of food and ample space for our
group. The Cumberland location has
free, easy parking and is a short hop
off of major thoroughfares I-285 and
I-75. Much attention was devoted to
improving the chapter’s website (www.
acc.com/chapters/georgia) by adding
current information about events,
posting the current Fulton County
Daily Report insert for those who
missed it in the paper, adding photographs, updating committee information and contacts, and collecting and
posting the materials presented by
the law firm sponsors of the monthly
luncheons and special programs. Last,
since our Board members work so
hard, we decided to add some fun as
well and had two social gatherings, one
at my home for Board members and
spouses/guests and a dinner following
the final 2012 Board meeting. It was a
great way to gather and celebrate our
accomplishments for the chapter in
2012.
In closing, it has been an honor to be
your chapter president this year. The
chapter will be in good hands with Joe
Freeman as 2013 president, and I look
forward to supporting him.
Acc-georgia Appreciates Our 2012 Sponsors
ACC News
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2012 Board Members and Contacts
President
Ms. Martha McMillin
VP & Managing General Counsel
The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta
[email protected]
VP – Communications
Ms. Sheri Gates McGaughy
Vice President, Legal
The Weather Channel
[email protected]
President Elect
Mr. Joseph Freeman
Assistant General Counsel
Cox Communications, Inc.
[email protected]
Secretary
Ms. Sheri Gates McGaughy
Vice President, Legal
The Weather Channel
[email protected]
VP – Sponsorships & Programs
Ms. Wanda M. Morris
Counsel
The Home Depot, Inc.
[email protected]
Treasurer
Mr. Neil J. Ginn
Corporate Counsel
WEG Electric Corp.
[email protected]
VP – Outreach Initiatives
Ms. Rachel Gervin
VP & Deputy General Counsel
Sage North America
[email protected]
At-Large Directors
(Term of Office)
Ms. Virginia Wadsworth
(One year as Past President)
General Counsel-APCO
Automobile Protection Corporation
[email protected]
VP – Membership
Mr. Creighton K. Frommer
Corporate Counsel
Reed Elsevier
[email protected]
VP – Special Programs
Mr. Paul Marcela
VP, General Counsel & Secretary
North American Bus Industries, Inc.
[email protected]
Ms. Kali Beyah
(2nd year of a two year term)
General Attorney 1
Delta Airlines
[email protected]
Mr. Seth Bruckner
(One year to fill the term of Rachel Gervin)
Attorney
United Parcel Service
[email protected]
Ms. Kelly Wilcove
(Two year term)
Senior Counsel
Assurant, Inc.
[email protected]
Mr. H. Eric Hilton
(Two year term)
SVP, Secretary and General Counsel
H.J. Russell & Company
[email protected]
Ms. Sloane Perras
(Two year term)
Senior Managing Counsel
Aaron’s Inc.
[email protected]
Chapter Administrator
Ms. Lisa King Smith
404.375.2036
[email protected]
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