Date: September 25, 2008
Contact: Kelly Griffith, Marketing Manager
Phone:
(612) 492-7514
Email: kgriffith@fredlaw.com
For Immediate Release
John Stout Appointed Vice Chair of ABA Corporate Governance Committee
Minneapolis, MN September 25, 2008 – – The Business Law Section of the American Bar Association (ABA) recently appointed John H. Stout of Fredrikson & Byron as vice chair of its 2,000-plus member Corporate Governance Committee.
The Committee monitors developments in corporate governance and promotes dialogue within the ABA and with interested individuals throughout the world regarding corporate governance issues. The Committee, along with its various subcommittees, keeps members both domestic and international abreast of current developments in corporate governance.
Stout says he believes that corporate governance is more relevant than ever in today’s business world. “Early in this decade events surrounding Enron, Worldcom and Tyco failures led to the adoption of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and put corporate governance high on the boardroom agenda of America’s corporations. At that time we thought many of the important governance issues underlying these corporate scandals had been addressed. The recent challenges faced in the financial services industry highlight the continued need for additional boardroom focus on critical governance issues. Right now the hottest governance topic is the board’s role in overseeing risk with board composition also high on the agenda.”
As Chair of Fredrikson & Byron’s Corporate Governance and Investigations Group, Stout advises senior management, boards and board committees on a variety of governance matters including director protection, board and committee leadership, performance and evaluations, current governance developments and special issues which merit review or investigation. He is a frequent speaker on corporate governance subjects, and has served as an expert witness on governance matters in litigation proceedings. He also teaches corporate governance courses at the business and law schools of the University of St. Thomas as an adjunct professor.
Fredrikson & Byron is a 225-plus attorney law firm based in Minneapolis, with offices in Bismarck, Des Moines, London, Monterrey, Mexico, and Shanghai. The firm’s primary areas of practice include banking, corporate, employment, franchise, government relations, healthcare, intellectual property, international, litigation, real estate, securities, tax and energy. We serve a broad range of clients, including multinational corporations, public companies, privately-held businesses, entrepreneurs, government agencies, and family businesses. Fredrikson & Byron’s attorneys also work with individuals on estate planning, family law, and immigration matters. We are the exclusive Minnesota law firm member of the World Services Group, a worldwide network of professional service providers. More information about the firm is available at www.fredlaw.com.