HOUSTON, Jan. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Shook, Hardy & Bacon has selected trial lawyer and business strategist John Lewis, Jr. to lead its Houston office, effective January 3, 2022. Lewis joined Shook as a business litigation partner in 2019. He currently chairs Shook's firmwide Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Initiatives across Shook's 17 offices.
"John is a transformational leader," said Shook Chair Madeleine McDonough. "He's an effective strategist not only in the courtroom but in the boardroom. We welcome his business acumen as we continue to grow the firm's capabilities in Houston and nationwide to best serve our clients."
Lewis has developed highly sought-after skills in his more than 30 years of advising clients, including advocating at a Fortune 100 company in-house and in private practice. Lewis served as chief litigation counsel at The Coca-Cola Company, advising C-suite executives and board members on government investigations, corporate compliance and class action litigation. Following his tenure in Coke's legal function, he was appointed to serve as a member of the company's global human resources leadership team as head of diversity and workplace fairness where he was a trusted advisor on workplace, marketplace, governmental and community affairs.
"I'm excited to explore the untapped business opportunities in the Houston market," said Lewis. "Houston is a global city that ranks third in the nation in the number of Fortune 500 companies domiciled here. Opened in 1995, Houston is Shook's second oldest office and one of the largest in terms of lawyers."
His return to Houston is also personal for Lewis.
"I grew up in the Greater Fifth Ward community just north of downtown. So I am a direct beneficiary of the investments made by Houston's professional, corporate, faith and philanthropic communities. This city is directly responsible for much of the professional success that I have enjoyed to this point. It's my hope that this new role will provide opportunities to pay that forward," said Lewis.
Active in civic affairs, Lewis currently serves as a trustee of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and is a board member of the Southeast Division of the Anti-Defamation League. He chaired the city of Atlanta Board of Ethics for five years where he heard and determined ethics complaints against city officials, including the mayor. He also serves as a director of the Loyal Trust Bank, a de novo bank founded by Chinese and Korean business leaders in 2019 where he chairs the bank's audit committee. Lewis hopes to find similar opportunities to be of service in his hometown.
He earned his law degree from The George Washington Law School where he now serves as a member of the Dean's Advisory Council, and obtained his bachelor of arts, with honors, from Morehouse College where he was a Presidential Scholar. He is also a proud graduate of St. Thomas High School and Our Mother of Mercy School.
He follows Houston Managing Partner Jennise Stubbs, who will continue advising the firm's national pharmaceutical and medical device clients. During her leadership, the Houston office signed the Houston Bar Association's Gender Fairness Commitment, which is designed to increase the number of women partners. Shook Houston attorneys serve their community through pro bono work and through hundreds of volunteer hours for organizations including the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center; Houston Women's Home; Justice for Children; Big Brothers Big Sisters; Habitat for Humanity; and Operation Underground Railroad. They also work with the Houston Bar Association on the Campaign for the Homeless, Lawyers for Literacy, Law Day and the Fun Run.
About Shook, Hardy & Bacon
Founded in 1889, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. has 17 offices in the United States and London, with attorneys and professional staff serving clients in the health, science and technology sectors in areas ranging from product liability defense and commercial litigation to intellectual property prosecution and litigation, environmental and toxic tort, privacy and data security, and regulatory counseling.
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SOURCE Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
