Moves: Scaling the Heights

Corporate Counsel

2012-10-01 00:00:00.0

When PETER MARKHAM agreed to serve as general counsel for Governor Earl Ray Tomblin of West Virginia, he understood that the position entailed a certain level of risk. After all, this is an election year, and if the Democratic incumbent is not reelected in November, Markham could be out of a job.

But that wasn't going to stop him from taking the post. As Markham puts it, "I saw this as a risk worth taking." For starters, he feels good about Tomblin's chances of reelection, given the governor's track record since taking Joe Manchin's old position following a special election in October 2011. (Manchin moved to the U.S. Senate when he won a special election in November 2010, replacing the late Robert Byrd; he is also up for reelection in November.) "The governor's pushed for tougher mine safety legislation and more natural gas exploration, and also for legislation to ban texting while driving," says Markham.

On a more personal level, Markham was ready for a change. "I like to be exposed to different things," he says. "The cool thing about this job is that every day you make decisions that affect the lives of people. In private practice you work so hard, but you don't see the same kinds of results."

A native of Charleston, West Virginia's capital, Markham followed in his father's footsteps and attended West Virginia University College of Law. After graduation, he was a clerk for Judge Robert King of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit before enrolling at the London School of Economics, where he got a master's in law, anthropology, and society. "I thought maybe I would be a professor or public servant," Markham says.

When he returned from London, Markham joined Charleston-based litigation boutique Allen, Guthrie, McHugh & Thomas (later Guthrie & Thomas, now Betts Hardy & Rodgers), where he handled oil and gas industry matters, as well as work for national banks and commercial retailers. Markham was on the litigation team that spent five years defending the private equity company behind the Sago Mine in wrongful death lawsuits following a mine explosion in 2006 that killed 12. Markham also represented the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters in a class action suit.

At 34, Markham is young for a top in-house attorney in such a high-ranking government position, given the wide range of matters his office handles. On any given day, this might range from reviewing bond deals for West Virginia University, to working with outside counsel on litigation matters involving the state, to drafting orders and proclamations. And in West Virginia, there will always be issues related to energy. "We recently issued an executive order to create a natural gas vehicle task force," he says. "It will look at how to convert vehicles to natural gas and having natural gas at fueling stations."

As an employee of the governor's office, Markham is not permitted to engage in political activities on work time or on government property. But advising Tomblin and his administration on legal matters is more than enough work, Markham says: "If I take a contract into his office, I'd better know everything about that contract and how it affects the state. The governor is like a very good judge who peppers you with questions. I need to be prepared as if I were about to go before the Supreme Court."

—Elizabeth Hampton

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Heal the World

During his years working at Medco Health Solutions Inc., THOMAS MORIARTY was a proud contributor to his employer's Medco Charitable Foundation, which sent auxiliary pharmacies and medicines to disaster zones including Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and the Indian Ocean countries that were flooded by the tsunami and earthquake of 2004.

In his new job as general counsel and corporate secretary for multinational pharmaceutical company Celgene Corporation, Moriarty will be working for a company with an even broader global reach. His title is new to the company: The previous top lawyer at Celgene was MARIA PASQUALE, who served in a similar role as senior vice president for legal and chief counsel.

Summit, New Jersey–based Celgene has 4,500 employees, with operations and sales in 60 countries worldwide.

Moriarty has spent his entire career in the life sciences and health care sectors. He joined Celgene in June from Medco, one of the country's largest managed health care providers, where he was general counsel and corporate secretary since 2008. Moriarty had served in other leadership roles at Medco, beginning in 2000. He was with the company through its $29 billion merger with Express Scripts Holding Company, which was approved by the Federal Trade Commission this spring. Medco was folded into the larger parent company, Express Scripts.

"In my in-house career, going all the way back to my beginnings at Merck & Co. Inc. in 1993, a major theme has been working with companies that can make a difference in the health of citizens of the U.S. and globally," Moriarty says. "Pharmaceuticals are part of the solution. It's a noble cause."

As an undergraduate, Moriarty studied public policy, earning a bachelor's degree in government and law at Lafayette College. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

The Garden State native has spent at least one week a month traveling for the last three years. As chief legal officer for Celgene worldwide, Moriarty will continue his globe-trotting. When asked where he would most like to travel next, Moriarty said people might expect he'd choose Ireland, since his family is Irish American, but he'd prefer Australia, another country with a large Irish population. He's in luck: Celgene has an office there

—Elizabeth Dilts

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One Busy Lawyer

After three years in the legal department at PNC Financial Services Group, ROBERT HOYT has now been selected to be the company's general counsel. He replaces HELEN PUDLIN, who retired after 18 years with the company. Hoyt was initially brought on at PNC as chief regulatory affairs officer, and had risen to the rank of senior deputy general counsel before his latest promotion.

Hoyt has a diverse and extensive background. He was a White House associate counsel and special assistant to George W. Bush during his presidency. Hoyt got his start as a clerk for Justice Herbert Wilkins of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He was then hired as a summer associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. There he made partner at 33, and at 40 he was the youngest lawyer to serve on the firm's management and executive ­committees.

After assisting former President Bush, Hoyt was the general counsel of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. During his time there, Hoyt had oversight of a staff of 2,000 lawyers crafting bailouts for The Bear Stearns Companies Inc., the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and American International Group Inc. During this period he was called "the busiest lawyer in Washington" by Legal Times (a sibling publication of Corporate Counsel ) .

Now, at 48, Hoyt is poised to take over the legal department at PNC. In a press statement, Pudlin called him a "very strong successor." PNC declined to make Hoyt available for an interview.

PNC's portfolio of services includes banking, lending, management, and real estate. Its clients include corporations and government entities across the globe.

The new GC earned his master's and law degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in 1989, after graduating from Cornell University in 1986.

—Julie McMahon

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Opportunity of a Lifetime

For BYRON BOWMAN, landing the job as general counsel at the fiduciary education and financial services firm fi360 is a big return on the long-term investments of his career.

"I'm really excited about this position," says Bowman. "I have the opportunity to act as a general counsel during the growth of an up-and-coming company, and I'm particularly interested in the business side: the application of the fiduciary standard."

Bowman brings three decades of investment management experience to the growing Pittsburgh-based company. He was connected to fi360 through a client during the two-and-a-half years that he has been principal of his own firm.

He is unabashedly enthusiastic about having the opportunity to bring together the legal and investment threads of his career. "This is a great opportunity to contribute to the profession and industry I've been a part of for 30 years. It's a little like riding off into the sunset—or at least it's something I'm happy I'm able to do before the end of my career," Bowman says. "Fi360 represents the good guys. I really think they raise the bar."

Bowman steps into the shoes of former GC KRISTINA FAUSTI BROUMAND, who will be staying on with fi360 as senior counsel. "She will be a tremendous help," Bowman says. "She's done a great job of laying the foundation here."

The new GC will be responsible for advising the fi360 administration on legal matters, as well as keeping the company up-to-date on changes in fiduciary regulations and legislation affecting the financial services industry.

Prior to running his own law firm, Bowman worked as general counsel at Hans­berger Global Investors. He has also spent time as a lawyer at Reed Smith and at Vedder Price, and was an in-house attorney at Federated Investors for 16 years.

Bowman received an undergraduate degree in social science from Michigan State University, and earned his J.D. at the University of Chicago Law School.

—J.M.

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Career Development

After working in the legal department of the Oliver Wyman Group for a nearly a decade, PAULA McGLARRY has stepped up to the role of general counsel.

McGlarry has served as in-house counsel at Oliver Wyman since 2003, and was named deputy GC of the company in 2010. In addition to continuing her past duties providing counsel on hiring, acquisitions, and contractual matters, as GC, McGlarry is now advising the company's leaders on global matters, and she has a seat on the group's management committee—which means she'll be getting out of the office more.

That's just one of the reasons McGlarry is enthusiastic about her in-house promotion. "It's an exciting place to work," says McGlarry. "Our legal team is a really wonderful group of very talented lawyers." The Oliver Wyman Group is a management consulting subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., a global professional services firm.

Marsh & McLennan general counsel and executive vice presidentPETER BESHAR said in a statement that McGlarry was more than ready to take on the leadership role within the legal department.

"Since she joined the company in 2003, Paula has distinguished herself as a strategic legal adviser, a skilled project leader, and a wonderful manager," Beshar said. McGlarry will report to Beshar and to John Drzik, president and CEO of Oliver Wyman.

McGlarry says she owes much of what she's learned to former Oliver Wyman GC and "excellent mentor" DANA BOLTON, who retired this month after being with the company since 1995.

Prior to working at the Oliver Wyman Group, McGlarry was a mergers and acquisitions lawyer at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. She holds an A.B. in psychology and political science from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

—J.M.