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THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF GOVERNANCE COUNSEL ANNOUNCES 2023 CLASS OF FELLOWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                     

June 29, 2023                                                              

The American College of Governance Counsel  

Contact: Jenna Ayala
646-846-3832

NEW YORK, NY – The American College of Governance Counsel, an organization of leading corporate governance lawyers from the U.S. and Canada, has elected its ninth class to include [16] new Fellows.

“We are again so proud to announce our new class of Fellows. A diverse and distinguished group of experts both in practice and in academia. Our College continues to set standards of excellence to further the advancement of knowledge and experience in the field of corporate governance”, said Larry W. Sonsini, Chair of the College. The election of the ninth group of Fellows will bring the ranks of the College to just over 150 Fellows and Honorary Fellows.  “I am so proud to see the terrific new class of experienced practitioners and scholars joining the ACGC. The skills and deep knowledge of this diverse group will greatly enhance the ability of the ACGC to promote its mission. I look forward to their active engagement in our activities as the preeminent body of corporate governance counsellors in North America,” added David J. Berger, President of the College.

The list of newly elected Fellows is appended.

The College is a professional, educational and honorary association organized to promote a high level of professional standards for those engaged in the governance practice along with a better understanding and broader adoption of best governance practices. Fellows and Honorary Fellows are chosen from the ranks of lawyers in the United States and Canada who have displayed a high level of professionalism and a commitment to the advancement of the governance practice through a combination of practice and thought leadership activities. Through its programs, the College, which was established in 2014, explores the major governance issues facing business enterprises including challenges to traditional models of governance, risk management, shareholder engagement, and an increasingly complex regulatory and enforcement environment. The College’s Honorary Founding Co-Chairs are Martin Lipton, Ira M. Millstein, and E. Norman Veasey.

More about the College can be found at www.amgovcollege.org.

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American College of Governance Counsel Ninth Class of Fellows June 2023

Joseph Allerhand
Allerhand and Odoner

Robert Bartlett
Berkeley Center for Law and Business

Myra Bierria
Southern Company and Evolution Petroleum

Aaron Briggs
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

Jennifer M. Daniels
Colgate – Palmolive

Crystal Gordon
Gogo

Rick Hansen
HP, Inc

Allison Herren Lee
Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto

Shelly Heyduk
O’Melveny

Adé Heylinger
Weil

Colleen Honingsberg
Stanford Law School

Ethan Klingsberg
Freshfields

William Lafferty
Morris, Nichols, Arhst & Tunnell

Amy Simmerman
Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati

Steven Solomon
UC Berkeley School of Law

Holly Youngwood
JP Morgan Chase & Co

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THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF GOVERNANCE COUNSEL NAMES DAVID J. BERGER AS PRESIDENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2023

Contact: Jenna Ayala
646-846-3832

New York, NY — The Board of Trustees of the American College of Governance Counsel (ACGC) is pleased to announce that David J. Berger has been elected to serve as President.  Mr. Berger is a partner at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini, specializing in corporate governance advisory work and litigation.   The Board is also pleased to announce that Patricia Vella, a partner at Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell who advises corporations on corporate governance matters and a variety of corporate transactions, has been elected Vice Chair and that outgoing President Holly J. Gregory, co-head of Sidley Austin’s corporate governance practice, has been named the ACGC’s Chair-Elect. 

“We are very pleased to have David Berger as our next President and honored that Holly Gregory will replace me as Chair as my term ends this year” said Larry Sonsini, Chair of the ACGC Board of Trustees.  “David will bring energy, commitment and thoughtful leadership to the ACGC, following in the footsteps of Holly’s outstanding tenure as President. The leadership of the College will be in a very good place.”

“I am grateful and humbled by the Board of Trustee’s decision to appoint me as President, and excited to work with the Board and our distinguished Fellows to lead ACGC over the next three years,” said Berger.  “I look forward to working with Holly and Tricia, and wish to especially thank Larry Sonsini for his mentorship to me during my career.” 

“I have been honored to serve as President of the College and know the College is in excellent hands under David’s leadership and with the addition of Tricia in the Vice Chair role” said Gregory.”

 ACGC is a professional, educational, and honorary association of leading corporate governance lawyers from the U.S. and Canada who are widely recognized for their achievements in the field of governance. The mission of ACGC is to promote a high level of professional standards among governance lawyers, along with a better understanding and broader adoption of best practices within business organizations. Through its programs, ACGC addresses major governance issues facing business enterprises, including developing challenges to traditional models of governance, risk management, shareholder engagement, and an increasingly complex regulatory and enforcement environment.

Membership is extended by invitation only to lawyers who have practiced law for a minimum of 15 years, and have focused their practice on the field of governance for at least 10 of those years. The college is currently comprised of 155 individuals who have made significant, sustained contributions to the governance community through their practices, speaking, writing, and thought leadership. Martin Lipton, Ira M. Millstein, and E. Norman Veasey are honorary founding chairs of the College.

To learn more about the ACGC, please click here.

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