Adjunct Professor, University of Southern California Gould School of Law (2011 - present) – Teaching upper division contracts course with the goal that students be at a one- or two-year attorney level or higher in contracts by the end of the course. Also a member of two previous faculty committees looking at curriculum reforms.
Director, MDRC (2009 - present) – A nonprofit corporation based in New York that independently evaluates the effectiveness of educational and social programs affecting lower income individuals and families.
Steering Committee Co-Chair, ACC Value Challenge (2008 - 2018) - The Association of Corporate Counsel Value Challenge is a project to reconnect the cost of legal services with value and, in the process, improve the effectiveness of law firm and in-house attorneys worldwide.
Pew Credit Card Standards Project (2008 - 2010) - Chaired the credit card standards project that was funded by two major foundations and that developed consumer protections through a private sector approach similar to an Underwriters Labs seal of approval.
February 2000 to February 2007 - Executive VP and General Counsel, Golden West Financial Corporation
Part of the company's senior management team. Involved in all aspect of the Company's operations including corporate, governance, regulatory, legislative, compliance, mortgage origination and servicing, retail banking, securities, HR, intellectual property, capital, real estate and litigation. Also had the accounting, tax and HR departments as direct reports (2000-2002).
Golden West Financial Corporation was a $130 billion NYSE financial services company operating in 39 states with annual revenues of approximately $3.4 billion and a workforce of over 12,500 employees.
August 1993 to February 2000 - General Counsel, Stanford University, Stanford Medical Center and Stanford Management Company
One of the seven senior officers of the University. Involved in all legal issues of the University, Medical Center and Management Company including governance, tax, regulatory compliance, HR (over 15,000 employees, including three bargaining units), real estate (8,100 acres of land which, in addition to the academic and medical campuses, includes one of the nation’s largest regional shopping centers, over 1,000 single family homes on leasehold land, and over 200 industrial tenants), corporate and securities (Stanford is AAA rated, issues various debt obligations, and at the time had an annual operating budget of over $7 billion), intellectual property (Stanford holds and manages over 250 patents) and all aspects of the Medical Center’s activities. Among other things, resolved several major contract disputes with the federal government, supervised regular caseload of 250 litigation matters pending at any given time, helped revamp pay and disciplinary structures, and merged and then un-merged the Stanford hospitals and faculty clinical practices with UCSF.
Established one of the first partnering legal structures whereby law firm attorneys became part of the Legal Department, attended weekly staff meetings, had offices on premises, and were incentivized to better manage legal resources through retainer and portfolio arrangements. Costs reduced by 25%, litigation caseload reduced by half, and client satisfaction increased from already high levels.
May 1987 to August 1993 - Partner, Morrison & Foerster
Managing Partner of the Los Angeles office. Co-chair of firm’s Financial Institutions (Banking) Practice Group worldwide. Member of firm’s Policy Committee, the highest governance committee in the firm. Resident in both the Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. offices.
Partner in charge of bank mergers, acquisitions and strategic planning, including creation of some of the first interstate branch networks and major supervisory acquisitions. Handled complex matters relating to capital, retail operations, holding company activities, formation of credit card and other special purpose banks, charter conversions, e-commerce, mortgage operations, consumer credit compliance, director liability and related matters. Responsible partner for over 100 financial services clients nationwide, including Citicorp, BankAmericorp, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, ITT, Merrill Lynch, JCB, American General, H.F. Ahmanson, Great Western Financial and various other financial services companies.
Regularly counseled clients regarding federal and state laws governing lobbying, conflicts of interest and political contributions. Co-author of bank director handbook.
February 1973 to May 1987 - Partner, McKenna, Conner & Cuneo
Associated with firm in 1973; partner between 1977 and 1987. Chair of firm’s Banking Department nationwide. Head of firm’s banking and corporate groups in Washington, D.C. Member of Executive Committee. In charge (1986-87) of the proposed re-codification of the California Banking Law on behalf of the California Bankers Association and the California State Banking Department.
March 1969 to April 1971 - Public Affairs Officer and Legal Officer, U.S. Navy
Attended Officer Candidate School and Naval Justice School. Served as Legal and Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Naval Station, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Officer-in-Charge of Armed Forces Radio and Television Network and Project Handclasp in the Caribbean. Recipient of Navy Commendation Medal.
1965 to 1969 and 1971 to 1973 - Various administrative positions, Stanford University
Handled roommate, adviser and class assignments for four separate incoming freshman classes; part-time and full-time staff member in Dean of Students Office and Office of Dean of Undergraduate Studies; helped implement first co-ed and first theme-based dorms for undergraduates; helped implement first two years of summer alumni colleges.
1965 to 1967 - Study of Education at Stanford, Committee on Advising
Member of committee that was evaluating all aspects of undergraduate advising and counseling; helped implement pilot project of dorm-based faculty advising and seminars.
1964 to 1966 - Reporter, Time-Life San Francisco Bureau and United Press International Chicago Bureau
Covered national, regional and local stories during summer and school year.
1964 to 1966 - Chair, Stanford Today and Tomorrow
Supported annual state of the university address by Stanford president with breakout sessions that same evening in majority of undergraduate dorms.
1963 to 1966 - Stanford Daily
Reporter, night editor and (in 1966) executive editor.