Features December 2017

In Australia, the first Tuesday of every November is the Melbourne Cup, the most prestigious thoroughbred horse race in the country and a nationwide tradition since 1861. In 2017, it was also the day that Vanguard spoke with attorney Sean Hughes of Tabcorp, a major sponsor of the Melbourne Cup carnival and one of the […]

“Like all first generation lawyers, my idea of what it meant to be a lawyer was shaped by popular culture,” Tim Hutzul says. But the reality—although more nuanced and interesting—would make bad TV, he adds with a laugh. Hutzul marvels at where the law has taken him and the opportunities it has presented. “My friends […]

Bob Robinson’s first appointment to a legal role was unceremonious. While an officer in the United States Navy, he once mentioned a passing interest in attending law school. When his commanding officer heard this, he simply handed Robinson the role of legal officer. As he was already an anti-submarine warfare and nuclear weapons officer, the […]

When clients meet Tom Barham at a construction site, they may see a seasoned contractor licensed in 15 states in a hardhat and mud-caked work boots, discussing budgets and schedules. Other times they might encounter him at his Reston, Virginia, office and see a veteran general counsel who is comfortable navigating a spectrum of legal […]

A one-time IRS agent who later got his Suffolk University law degree, Thomas Williams’ well-rounded expertise had RBC Bearings Inc. calling upon him to fill its new role of general counsel in 2006. At the time an assistant general counsel for Ingersoll Rand, Williams would prove his worth in short order for his new employer. […]

Little children worldwide are finding that playing with LEGO bricks engages both their brains and hands in ways that their video games will not, and the international toymaker could not agree more. That was among the reasons that Robin Smith, the Americas vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, found herself in Shanghai in late […]

Her sole client being North America’s sixth largest coal producer, Jennifer S. Grafton is quick to advocate for the much-maligned energy source whose use has seen a decline over the past five years, but remains necessary if the lights are to stay on after sundown. “I am not a technical person, but I can tell […]

Joshua Markus comes across as the complete package. Bright, articulate, friendly and in good humor, he makes a good first impression. Perhaps, best of all, he seems to have a lot of substance, which had to be among the reasons his services weren’t just retained, but upgraded, after his company was bought last year, fittingly […]

A young lawyer with expertise in international finance, Andreas Bohrer raised some eyebrows among his colleagues when he transitioned from regional general counsel of the Swiss bank UBS to a position with the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis in 2010. “I was going from private wealth to private health,” is how the now 49-year-old Bohrer sums […]

Ricardo Nunez may have felt like a relief pitcher upon coming aboard as general counsel of SWM International late last year. The stage for a big win was set by a predecessor, as the suburban Atlanta-based manufacturer of advanced materials made from fibers, resins and polymers had an agreement in place to buy Conwed Plastics […]