In-house ACCess : In-house ACCess: Association of Corporate Counsel : ACC : The In-house Counsel Bar Association

Veta T. Richardson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Corporate Counsel (“ACC”), a 29,000+ international membership organization, which serves as the ‘voice of the in-house bar’ and provides practical resources and extensive networking opportunities for its in-house counsel members. Previously, Richardson was Executive Director of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), advocating for the expanded hiring, promotion, and retention of minority attorneys by corporate law departments and the law firms. Earlier in her career, Veta played an important role at ACC, serving as vice president and deputy general counsel where she foresaw the need for more access to online resources for ACC members. Her own expertise in the in-house arena was shaped in her work as in-house counsel to Sunoco, Inc. based in Philadelphia, PA, where her practice focus was corporate governance, transactions, securities and finance.

Kim Howard, the editor-in-chief of the ACC Docket, the award-winning journal of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), has over 17 years of experience in publishing, communications, marketing and management. In her current role, Kim oversees the development, production and editorial content for the only professional legal journal written by in-house counsel for in-house counsel. Kim’s oversight ensures that the ACC Docket’s in-depth features and practical articles address those issues of vital concern to the in-house counsel community. Kim serves on the Board of Directors for Association Media & Publishing (formerly SNAP), and also served as the 2009 Chair for SNAP’s Annual Conference and 2008 Chair of the Pre-Conference Workshop for its Annual Conference. Kim is also a member the American Society of Association Executives, where she was recognized as the Top Association Executive Sponsor (1999-2000).

Amar D. Sarwal is the Vice President and Chief Legal Strategist of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) where heleads efforts to engage Chief Legal Officers and other legal executives, tochallenge both law firms and in-house counsel to deliver real value for their clients, and to shape the legal environment so that it advances the professional interests and unique perspectives of the in-house bar. Amar Sarwal joined ACC in 2010 as Associate General Counsel, directing key advocacy efforts and issues of importance to in-house counsel and the bar at large. Sarwal previously served as General Litigation Counsel at the United States Chamber of Commerce, where he managed the Chamber’s extensive amicus curiae and party litigation docket before the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal and state courts.

Fred Krebs, former President of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
Fred's tenure included roles as an association executive, an in-house attorney and a lawyer in private practice where he specialized in corporate and trade association law. In 1975, Fred joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as the Assistant General Counsel, and later as Manager of the Labor and Human Resources Policy Department, overseeing all policy development and lobbying on labor and human resources issues. Fred joined ACC in 1991 and during his time with ACC, the association has more than tripled in size, from 7,800 members in 1991, to now more than 28,000 members. Fred is also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law School and a frequent speaker and author on issues facing in-house counsel.

Susan Hackett, former ACC Senior Vice President and General Counsel, joined the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) in 1989, and has held a number of roles and responsibilities over the years. While at ACC, she focused on ACC's Advocacy & Public Policy Efforts, ACC's "Value Challenge" initiative, Corporate Pro Bono and Diversity initiatives, the provision of legal services and counseling to ACC and its Board of Directors and Chief Legal Officer Outreach, including the development of new strategic resources benefiting General Counsel/CLOs and ACC's increasingly global membership. Prior to joining ACC, Susan was a transactional attorney at the international law firm of Patton Boggs; and clerked for several Washington, DC employers while in law school and sitting for the bar.

Sanjeev Dhawan is Senior Legal Counsel for Hydro One Networks Inc. in Toronto. He advises the company on all areas of corporate and commercial law, particularly in regards to procurement contracts in the acquisition of equipment and services, and in the areas of construction, information technology, and mergers and acquisitions. Sanjeev also has a business role with the company as Manager of Commercial Contracts with its Supply Chain Services group. Prior to joining Hydro One in 2000, Sanjeev practiced in the areas of corporate and commercial law at a law firm for about seven years. Sanjeev received a Bachelor of Commerce and Finance degree from the University of Toronto in 1988, a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Windsor in 1991, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Detroit also in 1991. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1993, the New York State Bar in 1992, and the District of Columbia Bar in 1994. Sanjeev is active within the legal community in Ontario, and is President of the Association of Corporate Counsel – Ontario Chapter.

Michael Chang is senior counsel at Warner Bros. Studios, and serves on the ACC SoCal board of directors. He can be contacted at michael.chang@warnerbros.com.

Maria Votsch Maria Votsch is Counsel at Sprint Nextel, where she advises on a wide variety of marketing, advertising and consumer protection issues and also manages disputes and litigation on those issues. 

Guest Blogger: In-house ACCess features blog posts from a wide scope of guest authors with varying in-house counsel backgrounds and knowledge on related legal topics. For more information on our guest bloggers please refer to the introduction of each guest blogger post. The voice, views and stories expressed by the authors below are their own and not ACC’s.

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