NASHVILLE, Tenn. September 23, 2019 – Bass, Berry & Sims is pleased to announce that attorney Leigh Walton was elected as a member of the 2019 Class of Fellows by the American College of Governance Counsel (ACGC). Walton was one of only 11 individuals from the United States and Canada who were elected as Fellows this year. ACGC is a professional, educational, and honorary association of lawyers widely recognized for their achievements in the field of corporate governance.
Walton joins Bass, Berry & Sims attorney James H. Cheek, III, as a member in this prestigious association. Cheek and Walton are among only a half-dozen attorneys in the South to be recognized. Cheek was a founding Fellow of ACGC organized with the mission of promoting a high level of professional standards among corporate governance lawyers, along with a better understanding and broader adoption of best practices within business organizations. ACGC continues to be a professional, educational and honorary association organized to recognize preeminent professionals who excel in counseling boards and directors, officers and others charged with governance responsibilities. There are currently around 120 Fellows, chosen from the ranks of practitioners, general counsel and academic leaders in North America who have displayed a high level of professionalism and a commitment to the advancement of governance practice through thought leadership. More about ACGC can be found here.
“Leigh is a highly respected advisor and trusted business partner to clients across the country. Throughout her impressive career, she has consistently provided management and boards of directors with innovative, pragmatic and insightful counsel to help clients achieve business goals. She has long been considered a leading authority in corporate law,” said Todd Rolapp, managing partner at Bass, Berry & Sims. “The American College of Governance Counsel will greatly benefit from her legal proficiency and leadership experience in the broader legal community.”
Walton has more than 40 years of experience advising public companies in the areas of corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions and securities offerings. Throughout her career, she has advised boards, directors, officers and other executives on governance, disclosure, regulatory and operational concerns. Walton is currently serving her second six-year term on the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Corporate Laws Committee, where she co-chairs the Corporate Director’s Guidebook Task Force. The Corporate Laws Committee is responsible for the development of the Model Business Corporation Act used as the governing corporate law in 32 states. She is a past chair of the ABA’s Business Law Section Mergers & Acquisitions Committee, which has more than 5,000 members in 40 countries on five continents. Walton and her work have been widely recognized in industry outlets, including Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, IFLR1000 and others.
About Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
With nearly 300 attorneys representing numerous publicly traded companies, Fortune 500 businesses and nonprofits, Bass, Berry & Sims has been involved in some of the largest and most significant business transactions, investigations and litigation matters in the country. Our attorneys work seamlessly across substantive practice disciplines, industries and geographies to deliver highly effective service and business-focused solutions. For more information, visit bassberry.com.