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CAREER PROFILE
Johnnie is a nationally known former General Counsel at Olin Corporation (OLN:NYSE). He has over 35 years of legal and practical business/management experience “in the trenches” and at the highest corporate management, corporate board and operating division levels of a public company. For the last eight years he has shared the benefits of his experience coaching and consulting at large and small companies, non-profits, law firms and law departments as an Executive/Attorney Coach, Board Member Coach/Trainer, Independent Consultant and Attorney. He is a skilled listener and has outstanding communication and interpersonal skills. “Thought leader” is a label that has followed him through his career and he received national accolades in the mid-1990s for his forward-thinking ideas about redesigning law departments. His experience includes: counseling CEOs and management teams; service and counseling on the executive committees and boards of companies and non-profit organizations; project management of interdisciplinary teams of outside counsel, accountants and organization design professionals for multi-state organization assessments; board evaluations; law department/law firm management and assessments and, increasingly, career and performance coaching for attorneys and executives prompting him to recently become a strategic partner resource for Corporate Insights, Inc. (talent management strategists and coaches based in Aurora, IL). Johnnie has often been quoted as an insightful expert and is the author of numerous articles within the areas of his expertise. He has also been a frequent speaker and panelist on topics within the range of his expertise, has produced a Young Associates Program called “What They Didn’t Teach You in Law School About the Practice of Law,” and has created “PEEP”, a Performance Evaluation and Enhancement Process tool for Boards of Directors which he has used to support Board member training and performance assessments. Johnnie was a campus leader and graduated from Wake Forest University. He also has two advanced degrees (a JD from the University of Virginia and an MBA in finance and accounting from Tulane University). He served as an officer in the US Coast Guard during the Vietnam Era and has had assignments at increasing levels of responsibility throughout his career. He has devoted himself to a lifetime of continuous learning and personal development. He has a proven track record of success on a wide variety of matters in challenging business and legal environments around the world. His “value” to his coaching clients is that he has first-hand experience involving the very things his clients usually want to talk about. His experience is real … not just academic ... and clients seem to appreciate that.
EXPERIENCE
Strategic Partner Coaching Resource
Corporate Insights, Inc
| Various Locations | May '10 – Present |
Corporate Insights, Inc. builds and deploys talent assessment tools and designs and implements Talent Management initiatives for Fortune 1000 companies that promote a vibrant, effective and diverse workforce. Responsibilities include leadership coaching for Company Executives and Attorneys as a Certified Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coach.
Principal
Johnnie M. Jackson, Jr.
Executive/Attorney Coach and Independent Consultant
| Stamford, CT and Aventura, FL | March 2002 – 2005 and March 2007 – Present |
Consulting Email: jmj@jmjacksonjr.com
Consulting Web Site: www.jmjacksonjr.com
Personal and Consulting Email: transcon@optonline.net
Responsibilities include performance and leadership coaching for attorneys especially for law firm management and client development; performance and leadership coaching for executives of large and small companies in the areas of performance management and corporate governance and training; and facilitation of multi-disciplinary organization or Board assessments. From 2002 – 2005 responsibilities included ownership of Transitions Consulting and Directors' Oversight focusing on governance training and executive coaching. In the role of a governance professional, Johnnie has authored numerous articles and is a frequent speaker and consultant/coach/trainer on a variety of topics including corporate governance for management and Boards (both profit and not-for profit). He has also consulted for law department management and strategy, early stage case assessment options and EDD litigation readiness, legal practice development, and career development and leadership and performance for individual lawyers. He is the producer of the Young Associates Program for law firm associates and "PEEP," a Performance Evaluation and Enhancement Process tool for Boards of Directors.
Special Counsel
Guzov Ofsink, LLC
| New York, NY | February '09 – Present |
Admitted only in CT: Responsibilities include special assignments from time to time with firm attorneys and their clients on corporate matters generally including corporate governance training and coaching and international corporate transactions.
Advisory Board Member
RVM, Inc.
| New York, NY | March 2007 – Present |
Lead Director on Advisory Board for legal technology, consulting, data forensics, hosting and litigation support service company that develops and implements consistent, repeatable, and defensible strategies for customers and clients to better execute responses to discovery requests in State and Federal Courts for their electronically stored information. Serves as personal coach for CEO.
Attorney
Barton, Barton & Plotkin LLP
| New York, NY | 2004 – March 2007 |
Senior Counsel/Consultant (2004) and Partner (2005) (Admitted only in CT)
Worked with firm lawyers to counsel private and public company clients of the firm on various corporate finance, M&A transactions, corporate governance, legal compliance, legal strategy and legal process matters. Served as performance and leadership coach for firm lawyers and advisor for managing partner. Frequent speaker and author on behalf of the firm on a variety of corporate legal matters and advisor regarding firm’s marketing and corporate practice development.
Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
Olin Corporation (NYSE:OLN)
| Various Northeast and Midwest Locations | March 1978 – March 2002 |
Served as corporate Vice President of Olin Corporation from April 1995, and as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary from 1993. Responsible for all public company domestic and international legal matters including SEC and NYSE compliance, the Corporate Secretarial function, Board and Board Committee Corporate Governance matters, Enterprise Risk Management and Business Ethics and Integrity. Directly responsible for legal services related to general corporate, commercial, litigation, M&A, intellectual property, environmental and other regulatory needs of the corporation its divisions and subsidiaries. Reported directly to the Chairman and CEO and served as one of the top five Olin executives on the Leadership Team. Was seen as a change agent across division lines and led/championed many culture-change initiatives. Developed and led a sophisticated network and team of inside and outside counsel to handle the corporation’s worldwide portfolio of legal matters. Managed, motivated and redesigned a mid-cap public company Law Department that, at one time, had 35 plus lawyers and a dozen paralegals. Managed the corporation’s diverse litigation portfolio with a record of 132 wins and one loss for cases actually decided by a judge or jury. Earlier assignments at increasing levels of responsibility from 1978 included relocation and service in the corporation’s Chemicals, Metals, Winchester and Defense Systems Groups and at the Phillip A. Hunt Chemical Corporation, an acquired wholly-owned subsidiary previously listed on the NYSE.
Attorney
Wiggin & Dana, LLP
| New Haven, CT | Auguat 1974 – March 1978 |
Associate
Diverse experience included M&A matters, bank financings, general litigation support, general commercial, tax, regulatory and other general corporate matters.
EDUCATION AND MILITARY SERVICE
| WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY – BA | 1963-1967 |
Campus leader. Vice President of Freshman Class, President of Sophomore Class and President of social fraternity. Inducted into Phi Alpha Theta, the national honorary history fraternity, and included in Who’s Who among Students in American Colleges and Universities.
| UNITED STATES COAST GUARD | Sept. '67- Jan. '71 |
| TULANE UNIVERSITY - MBA | 1969-1971 |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF LAW – JD | 1971-1974 |
BAR ADMISSIONS, MEMERSHIPS, AWARDS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
Admitted to practice before all courts in the State of Connecticut, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, the United States Court of Appeals (2d Cir.), and the United States Tax Court. Member of the American Bar Association and the Connecticut Bar Association ("CBA"). Martindale Hubbel AV Peer Rated. Served on the CBA In-House Study Committee investigating solutions to multi-jurisdictional practice issues that often face in-house counsel (2000–2004) and as a member of the CBA Steering Committee for the Campaign for the CBA Law Center in New Britain. Served as a Director (1996–2004) and President (2002–2003) of the WESFACCA Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (600+ members). Member of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals. Served as a member of the Board of Visitors of the Pace University Law School (1999 – 2001). Served as Co-Chair of The Conference Board’s Legal Quality Council (1995–96). Elected in 1995 as a James W. Cooper Life Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation. Member of the Board of Trustees of the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk from 2001 until 2005 and also served on its Executive Committee and Chaired its Nominating Committee. Member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and served on its Connecticut Advisory Board from 2002 – 2005.
PUBLISHED ARTICLES
"Board Self-Assessments are here to stay – and for Good Reason" (PDF)
Directors' Monthly, a publication of the National Association of Corporate Directors, co-author, May 2008
"Board Self-Assessments are here to stay – and for Good Reason" (PDF)
OnBoard Monthly, Thomson Financial, co-author. July 2007
"What is your Email Retention Policy? No, REALLY, how long do you keep emails?" (PDF)
White Paper, ESI Strategies LLC, co-author. June 2007 and Thomson Financial, November 2007
"Don't Let 'em Take You for Granted: Selecting, Retaining and Partnering with Outside Counsel" (PDF)
Inside: A publication of the Corporate Counsel Section of the N.Y. State Bar Association, Fall 2006
"It's What You Don't Know That Can Hurt You" (PDF)
The Wired Board, Boards & Directors, Summer 2006
"A Perfect Fit: New Frontiers of Due Diligence in Strategic Acquisitions" (PDF)
Directors Monthly, a publication of the National Association of Corporate Directors, April 2006
"Partnering in the New Legal Environment"
Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, Interview 2005
"Case Study: Partnering from Olin and Beyond" (PDF)
John G. Kelley, Legal thought Leader, 2002
"Being A Director: The Future Isn't What It Used To Be" (PDF)
Directorship, October 2002
LECTURES, SEMINARS AND PRESENTATIONS
"Identifying, Managing and Avoiding Public Relations Fiascos"
The 34th Annual Intellectual Property Law Summer Institute.
The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI July 2008
"Litigation Readiness & Response Planning"
CLE Panel - New York City Bar Association Luncheon
NY, NY September 2007
"Corporate Governance:The Alternative Public Strategies Conference"
Speaker - Capital Formation Conference/Public vs. Private Equity
Washington, DC June 2007
"Litigation Readiness & Response Planning"
CLE Panel Sponsored by Hudsion Valley Bank, NY, NY June 2007
"Bridging the Technology Gap for Law Firm Administrators"
CLE Panel Sponsored by the ALA and IKON, NY, NY June 2007
"Electronic Data Discovery: Attorney Ethical Obligations to Clients and the Courts"
CLE Panel Sponsored by Hudson Valley Bank, NY, NY May 2007
"Conducting and Responding to Investigations"
CLE Panel: Damage Control - PR and Investor Relations Strategies to Minimize Ramifications of Alleged or Actual Wrongdoing" ACI Conference, NY, NY April 2007
"Are We There Yet: Meeting Our Litigation and Electronic Data Management Obligations"
Moderator and Speaker; WESFACCA (Association of Corporate Counsel), Darien, CT February 2007
"Conducting Forensic Investigations: Evolving Function of the Audit Committee in Forensic Investigations"
CLE Panel, ACI Conference, NY, NY December 2006
"New ESI Discovery Rules: December 1 Amendments to FRCP"
Thomson Financial National Web Cast November 2006
"Technology in the Boardroom"
NACD 2006 Annual Corporate Governance, Washington DC October 2006
"International Corporate Compliance for US and Foreign Securities Law Filers - Maintaining an Ethical Culture"
ABA Section of International Law Spring Meeting, Program Chair and Moderator, NY, NY April 2006
"A Perfect Fit: Right-sizing through Strategic Acquisitions and Divestitures"
Panelist, M&A Advisors Awards Dinner and Conference, NY, NY, December 2005
"The Federal Sentencing Guidelines: Your Best Defense is a Best Practices Offense"
WESFACCA (Association of Corporate Counsel) Darien, CT, Program Chair and Moderator,
May 2005
"Best Practices for Board Governance: Board Self-assessments"
NACD CT Chapter, Hartford, CT April 2004
© Johnnie M. Jackson, Jr. 2010
Bio
