Veta T. Richardson is the president and chief executive officer of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). Headquartered in Washington, DC, ACC is the world's largest legal association dedicated exclusively to serving the interests of in-house counsel. With an international membership of more than 45,000 in-house lawyers at more than 10,000 organizations in 85 countries, ACC serves as the "voice of the in-house bar" for corporate lawyers at 98 percent of the Fortune 100 and 51 percent of the Global 1000.
With more than 60 chapter operations around the world, Richardson's top priorities as CEO involve continuing to increase ACC's global footprint and charting the organization through a strategic plan and vision designed to strengthen its position as the global voice for in-house counsel. Members look to ACC to advocate in support of their rights and interests as in-house counsel, as well as to offer the practice resources, education, global legal and regulatory analysis, and networking opportunities needed to advance their professional development.
Previously, as executive director of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) from 2001-2011, Richardson raised the bar on the advancement of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession through the establishment of a multi-pronged platform that consisted of groundbreaking research and white papers; thought-provoking publications, such as Diversity & the Bar; and best-in-class programs, services, and networking events. Under her leadership, the MCCA emerged as a thought leader on diversity, recruitment, retention, and pipeline initiatives for multinational corporations around the world.
Earlier in her career, Richardson served as vice president and deputy general counsel at ACC, where she oversaw the development of online resources and continuing legal education for in-house lawyers. Her own expertise in the in-house arena was shaped through her work for more than a decade as in-house counsel at Sunoco, Inc. based in Philadelphia, where her practice focus was corporate governance, transactions, securities disclosure, and finance.
She received a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Maryland at College Park and a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law.
