Overview

John represents family-owned, closely-held and publicly-owned businesses in governance, sustainability (ESG) and social responsibility (CSR), financial and international business matters.

John practices in business organization, finance and governance at Fredrikson & Byron P.A., a Minneapolis-based law firm with offices in Iowa, North Dakota, Mexico and China. From 2011 to 2014 he was Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee (CGC) of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section. He is a member of the Section’s Governing Council and serves as Vice Chair of the Section’s Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (focusing primarily on business sustainability matters) and Co-Chair of the CGC’s Artificial Intelligence Sub-Committee.

John Co-Chairs Fredrikson & Byron’s Corporate Governance and Corporate Sustainability and Social Responsibility Groups, as well as co-chairing the firm’s working group on Artificial Intelligence. He is also a member of the firm’s Corporate, Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions and International Groups. He advises executives, boards, board committees and individual directors and officers of for-profit and nonprofit organizations on domestic and international governance, risk assessment, indemnification and insurance, legal compliance, internal investigations, board and director evaluations and performance improvement, business sustainability and social responsibility matters, oversight of Artificial Intelligence usage, and the legal implications of business strategies and decisions.

John serves as a director of several nonprofit and for-profit corporations. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Corporate Directors (and co-founder of its Minnesota Chapter), the Center for International Private Enterprise and a former Trustee of Carleton College.

John is an Adjunct Professor, co-teaching a governance course, at the University of St. Thomas Law School in Minneapolis and frequently writes and speaks on corporate governance subjects. He has also served as an expert witness on governance matters. John is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a member of the American College of Governance Counsel. In 2018, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Corporate Governance from Twin Cities Business. He is also a member of the University of St. Thomas Twin Cities Artificial Intelligence Roundtable.

Services

Credentials

Education

  • University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1967
  • Carleton College, B.A., 1962

Admissions

  • Minnesota, 1967

Recognition

  • Who’s Who Legal: Governance, International, Meridian House, 2019-2021
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Governance Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Minneapolis, 2017 and 2022
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Governance Law, 2016-present
  • Pro Bono All Star, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2020
  • Who's Who Legal, Nominee, Corporate Governance, 2020
  • The (REAL) Power 50 Award, Minnesota Business, 2018
  • North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2012-2014, 2016-2019, 2021
  • Lifetime Achievement Award for Corporate Governance, Twin Cities Business, 2017
  • Twin Cities International Citizens Award, International Leadership Institute, 2009
  • Champion of the Year Award, Metropolitan Economic Development Association, 2006
  • Super Lawyer-International Transactions, Arts and Entertainment, Sports, E-Commerce, Securities & Ventures Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions, Minnesota Super Lawyers, 1998-2006
  • Pro Bono Distinguished Service Award, Fredrikson & Byron, September 2005
  • Lifetime Achievement Award, Milestone Growth Fund, May 2005
  • Minority Business Advocate of the Year, Business Journal, June 2003
  • Public Service Award, American Bar Association Section of Business Law, 1997
  • Distinguished Legal Service Award, Corporate Legal Times, September 1997
  • Lifetime Achievement Award, Metropolitan Economic Development Association, May 1997
  • Award for Distinguished Achievement, Carleton College, June 1992

Civic & Professional

Professional Activities

  • American Bar Association, Governing Council, Committee on Corporate Governance (Chair), Business Law Section (Chair); Sub-Committee on International Governance Developments (Co-Chair); Committee on Non Profit Governance (Co-Chair); Task Force on Director and Officer Liability
  • Minnesota State Bar Association, Member
  • Hennepin County Bar Association, Member
  • National Association of Corporate Directors, Minneapolis Chapter, Former Member, Director and Chair Emeritus, Board of Directors
  • National Association of Corporate Directors, Blue Ribbon Commissions on Risk Governance, Board Leadership and Director Professionalism
  • National Association of Corporate Directors, Best Practices Council on Preventing and Detecting Fraud and Other Illegal Activities
  • Malaysian Alliance of Corporate Directors (MACD), Advisory Board Member
  • University of St. Thomas Law School, University of St. Thomas Opus School of Business, Adjunct Professor, Corporate Governance

Community

  • Metropolitan Economic Development Association Co-Founder, Director, Past Chair, Secretary
  • Milestone Growth Fund, Co-Founder, Director, Chair, and Secretary
  • Minnesota Film Board, Co-Founder, Director, Past Chair
  • Center for International Private Enterprise, Director, Member of Executive Committee)
  • Carleton College, Past Member, Board of Trustees

News & Insights

Publications & Presentations

Panel Presentation, Sustainability and The Rule of Law; “Global Decline in strength of the Rule of Law poses a Critical Sustainability Risk,” World Justice Forum, The Hague, Netherlands, June 2, 2022

“The Important Role of Business Custodians of the Rule of Law,” Business Law Today, ABA Business Law Section, January 14, 2022

Publication, “Governance and Sustainability,” Lead Chapter Book on Sustainability Published by ABA, November 2021

Publication, “Rule of Law-What is It?,” Business Law Today, August 2021

Presentation, American Bar Association, Business Law Section, Corporate Governance Committee, Webinar, “Governance … Artificial Intelligence … Block Chain … Connecting the Dots,” Friday, September 28, 2018

Publication, “Governance … Artificial Intelligence … Block Chain … Connecting the Dots,” September 28, 2018

Presentation, Panel Chair and Presenter, American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Business Law Section, Corporate Governance Committee, Artificial Intelligence Task Force, “Governance … Artificial Intelligence … Block Chain … Connecting the Dots,” September 15, 2018, Austin, TX

Panel Presentation, "Artificial Intelligence: Business and Legal Applications," Minnesota State Bar Association Corporate Counsel Institute, Hamline School of Law, March 9, 2018

Publication, “Artificial Intelligence: Business and Legal Applications,” March 9, 2018

Publication, “Business Sustainability,” with Deborah Walker Kool, Chapter 1.12, Directors Handbook, American Bar Association, 2017

“Sustainability Meets Integrity,” Business Law Today, January 2017

Presentation, “From Enron to Volkswagen: Can Your Board Confidently Avoid Scandal?,” National Association of Corporate Directors, Georgetown Corporate Counsel Institute, Georgetown Law School, Washington, D.C., March 17, 2017

Presentation, “From Enron to Volkswagen: Can Your Board Confidently Avoid Scandal?,” Retail Industry Counsel Association, Atlanta, GA, October 26, 2016

Presentation, “From Enron to Volkswagen: the Critical Importance of Governance, Culture, Compliance and Ethics,” ABA Corporate Governance Committee Spring Meeting, Montreal, QC, Canada, April 9, 2016

Panel, “Corporate Sustainability: Should Materiality be the Primary Focus for Board and Regulatory Oversight?,” American Bar Association, Business Law Section Panel, Washington, D.C., November 20, 2015

Presentation, “Five Governance Developments,” Twin Cities Business Outstanding Directors Awards, Minneapolis, MN, October 1, 2015

Panel, “Sustainability and the Financial Markets,” American Bar Association, Business Law Section Panel, Chicago, IL, September 18, 2015

“Governance Meets Sustainability,” Phone and Internet Presentation, ABA Continuing Legal Education Panel, February 25, 2015

Presentation, “Advancing the Standard: Corporate Governance Revisited,” American Society of Mechanical Engineers Board/Management Conference, Kiawah Island, SC, August 7, 2014

Presentation, “Refreshing the Board of Directors,” ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, August 6, 2014

“Corporate Governance Best Practices,” NIRI Virtual Chapter, Minneapolis, MN, February 2014

Presentation, “The Role of Outside Consultants in Evaluating or Investigating Corporate Matters,” Summit on Emerging Corporate Governance Trends for Lawyers & Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Bar Association, Chicago, IL, June 6-7, 2013

“ABA’s John Stout Looks at the Future of Corporate Governance,” article by Catherine Dunn, Corporate Counsel, January 10, 2013

“Integrity, Culture, and Other Intangibles for Building Long-Term Value – The Board’s Critical Responsibility,” article in Private Sector Opinion, a Global Corporate Governance Forum Publication, International Finance Corporation, Global Corporate Governance Forum, December 2012

“It All Starts With Well-Chosen Directors,” Directors & Boards, October 2012

Presentation, “The Board’s Responsibility for Corporate Culture: Selected Governance Concerns and Tools for Addressing Corporate Culture and Board Performance,” World Governance Forum of the International Finance Corporation (an affiliate of the World Bank, Washington, D.C.), Jakarta, Indonesia, December 3, 2011

Presentation, “The Board’s Balancing Act: Managing Risk and Setting Strategy for Long Term Value,” World Governance Forum of the International Finance Corporation (an affiliate of the World Bank, Washington, D.C.), Jakarta, Indonesia, December 1, 2011

Presentation, “The Board’s Responsibility for Corporate Culture – Selected Governance Concerns and Tools for Addressing Corporate Culture and Board Performance,” Board of Directors of the Bursa Malaysia, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, May 5, 2011

Presentation, “The Allocation of Responsibility Between Directors and Shareholders,” Malaysian Alliance of Corporate Directors Conference, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, May 2-4, 2011

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