In contrast to the prominent announcements by The Coca-Cola Co.’s now-former general counsel Bradley Gayton calling for increased diversity in the legal industry, the silence surrounding his sudden resignation has been deafening. 

The Atlanta-based beverage giant announced Wednesday that Gayton had stepped down, agreeing to serve as a consultant to CEO James Quincey through April 2022, focusing on the vague goal to “drive certain key objectives.” Monica Howard Douglas, a former chief compliance officer and associate GC at the company, has taken over as the top lawyer.