Vice president and general counsel | Honeywell Connected Enterprise
General counsel and vice-president | Harry Norman, REALTORS®
Chief legal and administrative officer and corporate secretary | Newell Brands
General counsel and corporate secretary | Coca-Cola Bottlers' Association
Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary | J.M. Huber Corporation
Vice president for business affairs and global general counsel | Vantiva Broadband
Senior vice president, general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer | Southern Company Gas
Partner and deputy general counsel | McKinsey & Company
Vice president, legal and general counsel | Porsche Cars North America
Executive vice president, chief legal officer and chief compliance officer | Southern Company
Senior vice president, general counsel and secretary | National Vision Holdings
Senior vice president and general counsel | Cox Enterprises
Chief legal officer and corporate vice president | Equifax
Vice president, assistant general counsel, and chief privacy officer | Promethean
Vice president, senior programming, and production counsel (assistant general counsel) | Gray Television
General counsel, chief compliance officer and secretary | Kabbage, an American Express company
Executive vice president, general counsel and secretary | Graphic Packaging International
Executive vice president and general counsel | Chick-fil-A
Executive vice president and global general counsel | The Coca-Cola Company
General counsel and chief administrative officer | Inspire Brands
Senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary | Tractor Supply Company
Executive vice president and general counsel | Reliance Worldwide Corporation
Senior vice president and general counsel (until September 2022) | Emory University
Executive vice president, general counsel and corporate security | The Home Depot
On behalf of everyone at The Legal 500, I am delighted, honoured, and excited in equal measure to welcome you to the first edition of our Atlanta GC Powerlist. This will mark the first time that The Legal 500 has produced a publication exclusively focusing on in-house counsel in Atlanta, and what better way to mark this occasion with the launch of the local edition of our premier title dedicated to highlighting the very best in-house lawyers around the world – The GC Powerlist.
It was a pleasure to lead the research for this project. The great enthusiasm of the lawyers that we spoke to was outstanding and inspiring, but the sheer level of innovative work that has been carried out in this region is even more spectacular.
The interviews I had the pleasure of conducting as part of the research for the Atlanta Powerlist were all illuminating. As an example, James Y. Kerr II, executive vice president, chief legal officer, and chief compliance officer at Southern Company, provided a thought-provoking interview for inclusion in this year’s list which is well worth reading. In it, he lays out the importance of the Covid-19 response in the company, and how to balance the risks that came along with it:
‘At the time that the pandemic began, we were 90% through completion of the only two new nuclear reactors being built in the United States, and we had a daily workforce of about 8,000 people showing up at the site. From a risk standpoint, from a technique standpoint and, frankly, from a governance standpoint, we had to make sure that the board understood that it was an appropriate decision to continue the project. We also had to balance the risk of stopping the project with maintaining first party health and safety of the company employees and the contractors on the site.’
In this edition, in-house lawyers strongly emphasise the increasing importance of legal technology, and how this could revolutionise the future of the law profession, while also acknowledging the cyber security threats that come along with its use. Not only has technology aided companies through the pandemic, with its vital role in remote and hybrid working, but the use of artificial intelligence, for example for contract management, is also beginning to allow in-house professionals to use their time more efficiently.
For stories from those who have been able to take the front line for their organisations, and further discussions on both the Covid-19 pandemic and the use of technology, read on to the interviews within.
A huge thank you to everyone who spoke to us as part of The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: Atlanta 2023, and to our sponsors Morris, Manning & Martin for making this all possible. To those of you who were successful in making this year’s list: congratulations from myself and the rest of the GC Powerlist Research Team. You are part of an elite group of the most trusted, effective, and innovative in-house lawyers globally.
Elena Lewis | Lead Researcher – GC Powerlist Atlanta 2023
The GC Powerlist United States Atlanta was launched on 26th January 2023 with a private dinner held at The Chastain. The celebratory event was the first dedicated recognition of Atlanta’s leading general counsel and chief legal officers. Following introductory speeches from David Burgess, Publishing Director of The Legal 500 and Simon Malko, Managing Partner at Morris, Manning & Martin LLP, guests enjoyed a private dinner and the opportunity to share war stories from their roles, and to create a series of new networks and connections. Our thanks go to all who attended, and our gracious sponsors Morris, Manning & Martin LLP.
