How to Maximize Efficiency and Effectiveness
When Utilizing Outside Counsel
John D. Buchanan, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Kristen A. Larremore, Waller
Deborah J. Long, Protective Life Corporation
John W. McCullough, Harbert Management Corporation
Larry B. Childs, Waller
© 2014 Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP. All Rights Reserved.
What is your position?
A. In-House General
Counsel
B. Associate or assistant
General Counsel
C. Compliance Officer
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In what industry are you employed?
A. Financial services
B. Healthcare
C. Manufacturing /
Construction
D. Real Estate
E. Other
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How long have you been an in-house counsel?
A. 0-5 years
B. 6-10 years
C. 11-15 years
D. 16-20 years
E. 20+ years
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What is your satisfaction level with your
in-house work?
A. Love my job.
B. Tolerate my job.
C. Would prefer to be
doing something else.
D. Hate my job.
E. Other
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What is the greatest challenge presented when
dealing with outside counsel?
A. Managing costs
B. Finding qualified
lawyers
C. Receiving necessary
updates / adequate
supervision
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D. Lack of continuity in
lawyers working on
matters
If you could change one thing about the outside
counsel with whom you work, what would it be?
A. Lower rates
B. More responsive
C. Work faster
D. Better quality work
E. More bottom line
oriented
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F. Other
Are you currently using or would you consider using
alternative fee arrangements?
A. Yes
B. No
No
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Over the past four years, have you increased or decreased the
amount of work you send to outside counsel?
A. Increased
B. Decreased
C. Stayed the same
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JOHN D. BUCHANAN
John D. Buchanan is the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate
Secretary of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, recently serving the entire Federal
Reserve System as Chairman of the Legal Counsel Committee. Mr. Buchanan has 25
years of experience as a banking attorney. During his career, Mr. Buchanan also served
as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for several S&P 500 banking companies
(SouthTrust, AmSouth, Regions).
Mr. Buchanan served as an officer and helicopter pilot in the United States Army. He has served on the
Boards of Directors of Mercedes Benz US International, the Alabama Bankers Association, the Business
Council of Alabama, the Financial Services Roundtable Lawyers Council and on the American Bar
Association Banking Committee. Mr. Buchanan holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Washington
& Lee University in Lexington, Virginia; a J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in
Nashville, Tenn., and a LL.M. in tax law from New York University School of Law.
LARRY B. CHILDS
Partner, Co-Practice Group Leader, Litigation and Dispute Resolution
205.226.5701 direct
[email protected]
Assistant: Bobbie Jones
205.226.5709
1901 Sixth Avenue North
Suite 1400
Birmingham, AL 35203
205.214.6380
205.214.8787 fax
[email protected]
For over 30 years, a variety of businesses from manufacturers to
financial institutions have sought counsel from Larry Childs
regarding a diverse range of matters. Skilled in handling complex
litigation, whether resolved through a workout, arbitration, or
trial, Larry adopts the strategy of “relentlessness in the pursuit of
excellence.” He strives to meet the client’s goals by laying out a
success strategy at the earliest stage of a conflict.
Industries Served
■ Banking | Financial Services
■ Automotive
■ Construction
■ Manufacturing
Legal Services
■ Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Larry’s focused strategic planning at the first signs of a crisis or
dispute assures clients that their ultimate goals are top of mind.
Long-term relationships with clients, spanning decades in many
cases, make possible Larry’s vision of being a true member of the
client’s team.
Although representing financial institutions is the principal focus of
his practice, over his distinguished litigation career, Larry has
“done it all.” From cases involving consumer class actions to
industrial accidents to criminal allegations against company
executives, he is a generalist in the greatest sense of the word—a
thought leader able to combine ideas from diverse fields to
achieve creative results. Recently, Larry led Waller’s litigation
team in the Jefferson County, Alabama matter--one of the largest
municipal bankruptcy cases in American history.
Larry maintains a diverse portfolio of cases, including:
■ Bookkeeper embezzlement cases
■ Cases under the Uniform Commercial Code
■ Lender liability suits
■ Lending discrimination claims
■ Personal and corporate trust matters
■ Regulatory claims
■ Securities and ERISA class actions
■ Shareholder derivative lawsuits
■ TARP-related claims
■ Financial Services Litigation
Education
■ J.D., University of Virginia, 1977
■ Order of the Coif
■ National Moot Court Team
■ Hardy Dillard Writing Fellow
■ B.A., magna cum laude,
University of Alabama, 1974
■ Phi Beta Kappa
Bar Admissions
■ Alabama
■ Tennessee
Court Admissions
■ United States Supreme Court
■ U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh
and Eleventh Circuits
■ U.S. District Court, All Districts
of Alabama
■ U.S. District Court, Middle
District of Tennessee
Larry B. Childs
Best Lawyers recognizes Larry as a leading attorney in four areas:
■ Banking and Finance Law
■ Commercial Litigation
■ Litigation - Banking & Finance
■ Litigation – Construction
Experience
■ Represented five national financial institutions in successfully defending arbitration claim
involving $150 million loan syndicate
■ Assisted hospitals in contractual disputes with medical providers
■ Successfully defended several shareholder derivative actions against bank holding company
■ Following failure of large Alabama bank, resolved within insurance carriers all claims against
outside directors of parent corporation
■ Lead counsel for indenture trustee that successfully obtained remedies for a large bond default,
including appointment of a receiver and entry of a $575 million judgment
■ Lead litigation counsel in, what was at the time, the largest municipal bankruptcy in American
history
■ Handled several large arbitrations, including two cases that were conducted in London, England
in the International Court of Arbitrations
■ Assisted a client dealing with the effects of an explosion at its chemical plant that killed five
employees and caused millions of dollars of property damage
■ Served as lead counsel for the State of Alabama in its successful effort to end a long-running
class action suit involving the State's child welfare system
Professional
■ Member, Birmingham, Alabama and American Bar Associations
■ Member, Business Entities Committee of the Alabama Law Institute, which redrafted the
corporate statutes for the State of Alabama
■ Former Member, Alabama Consumer Information Privacy Study
Prior affiliations:
■ Law Clerk to the Honorable Seybourn H. Lynne, United States District Court for the Northern
District of Alabama
Community
■ Founding Chairman, Board of Directors of Grace House Ministries, Inc.
■ Finance Chairman, Election Campaign of former Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor
■ Counsel, Reelection Campaign of former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Harold F. See
Larry B. Childs
Up Close
An accomplished brass musician, Larry spent many years playing trumpet with his church's orchestra,
and now enjoys playing at weddings and other gatherings. He also cherishes time with his
grandchildren and family.
KRISTEN A. LARREMORE
Associate
205.226.5747 direct
[email protected]
Assistant: Robin Lowman
205.226.5737
1901 Sixth Avenue North
Suite 1400
Birmingham, AL 35203
205.214.6380
205.214.8787 fax
[email protected]
Healthcare providers turn to Kristen Larremore for assistance with
a wide range of regulatory compliance matters and healthcare
transactions. Kristen counsels hospitals, health systems,
outpatient services providers, physicians and medical practices on
Stark law compliance, federal and state anti-kickback regulations,
HIPAA, patient privacy and state healthcare regulations.
Healthcare providers benefit from Kristen’s experience with the
regulatory aspects of transactional matters as well as with day-today operational issues such as licensure, provider and payor
certification and the certificate of need process. Kristen’s
transactional experience includes acquisitions and divestitures of
healthcare facilities as well as public and private financing
transactions representing the corporate borrower.
Industries Served
■ Healthcare Industry
■ Hospitals & Health Systems
■ Physician Practices
Legal Services
■ Healthcare Compliance &
Operations
■ Healthcare Mergers &
Acquisitions
Education
■ J.D., Vanderbilt University Law
School, 2006
Before joining Waller, Kristen gained valuable experience in
healthcare regulatory and transactional matters as an associate in
the Birmingham-based offices of two prominent law firms.
■ Vice President, International
Law Society
■ Master of Theological Studies,
Vanderbilt University Divinity
School, 2006
Professional
■ B.S.B.A., magna cum laude,
University of Southern
Mississippi, Economics and
Business Administration,
Accounting, 2001
■ Member, Birmingham Bar Association
■ Member, Alabama State Bar Association, Health and
Business Law Sections
■ Member, American Bar Association
■ Member, American Health Lawyers Association
Prior Affiliations
■ Associate, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, Birmingham,
Ala., 2012-2013
■ Associate, Balch & Bingham LLP, Birmingham, Ala., 20062012
■ Caruthers Sullivan Scholarship
as Most Outstanding
International
Business/Economics Student
■ Conference USA Scholar-Athlete
Award
Bar Admissions
■ Alabama
Kristen A. Larremore
Up Close
Kristen, her husband Tony, and children Hannah and Arabella, are involved in their church where
Kristen’s husband is the worship leader. Also, Kristen is the only healthcare attorney at Waller to have
competed in Cross Country at a Division 1 university.
DEBORAH J. LONG
Deborah J. Long serves as Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of Protective Life
Corporation. She joined Protective as General Counsel in 1992. Prior to joining Protective, Ms. Long was
a member of the Maynard, Cooper & Gale law firm in Birmingham, Ala., where she practiced in the areas
of insurance, banking and finance, business acquisitions and mergers, and general corporate law. Ms.
Long serves on the boards of various Alabama charitable organizations, including Big Brothers / Big
Sisters of Greater Birmingham, A+ Education Partnership, Alabama Women’s Commission and the
Protective Life Foundation. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Auburn University,
and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Alabama School of Law.
John McCullough John McCullough joined Harbert Management Corporation in 2006 as a Vice President and Associate General Counsel, was appointed Senior Vice President and General Counsel effective March 9, 2009 and was elected to serve on the Board of Directors in 2014. Before joining HMC, he was a partner in the law firm of Balch & Bingham LLP and Associate General Counsel of a publicly traded client of that firm. He also serves as a member, and Chair of the Governance Committee, of the Board of Trustees of McWane Science Center, a science museum and early learning center in Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. McCullough received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Washington and Lee University and received a law degree from the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University. JOHN WHITTINGTON
John Whittington was named executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of
HealthSouth Corporation on October 19, 2006, having served as interim general counsel and corporate
secretary since July 26, 2006. Prior to joining HealthSouth, Mr. Whittington was a partner of the law firm
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, which is based in Birmingham, Alabama. He chaired the
Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group at Bradley Arant from 1990 to 2005. He served as an
adjunct professor at Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, located in Birmingham, Alabama
from 1990 to 2006. Mr. Whittington has also served as a member of the Dean's Advisory board at
Cumberland School of Law since 2004. He is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association, Alabama
State Bar, and American Bar Association.