Thomas A. Russo
Thomas A. Russo | |
---|---|
Born |
Staten Island, NY | November 6, 1943
Alma mater |
Fordham University (B.A.) Cornell University (J.D., M.B.A.) |
Occupation | Lawyer |
Employer | AIG |
Thomas A. Russo was executive vice president and general counsel of American International Group, Inc., with responsibility for legal, compliance, and regulatory and government affairs from February 2010 until his retirement in November 2016. Prior to joining AIG, Russo was senior counsel at Patton Boggs LLP.[1] Russo was also an Adjunct Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
Biography
Russo was born in Staten Island, New York, in 1943. He attended Xavier High School in Manhattan, a private Jesuit preparatory school. He received his J.D. and MBA degrees from Cornell University and his B.A from Fordham University.
Before joining American International Group, Inc., Russo was senior counsel at Patton Boggs. Prior to Patton Boggs, Russo served as vice chairman of Lehman Brothers and chief legal officer of Lehman Brothers Holdings. While at Lehman he was responsible for the firm's corporate advisory division, which included legal, compliance, corporate audit, government relations, and transaction management.
Prior to joining Lehman Brothers in January 1993, Russo was a partner and member of the Management Committee of the law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. At Cadwalader, Russo specialized in SEC enforcement and broker-dealer operations, CFTC enforcement and regulation, and derivatives, financial and general corporate law. From 1975 to 1977, Russo was the deputy general counsel of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, where he served as the first director of the agency's Division of Trading and Markets. From 1969 to 1971, he was an attorney in the Division of Market Regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and from 1971–1975, an associate with Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. Russo also served as advisor to the Brady Commission in 1987.
Russo holds the following positions: the Institute of International Education, which administers the Fulbright Scholarship Program (chairman, Executive Committee; member, Development Committee, Compensation & Human Resource Committee, Scholar Rescue Fund Committee, Scholar Rescue Fund Selection Committee, and the Scholar Rescue Fund Board; co-founder, Scholar Rescue Fund); The Institute for Financial Markets (former vice chairman, Board of Trustees; former member, Executive Committee; and former Trustee from 1995 to March 2015); and the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation. Russo held various board positions with the March of Dimes (vice chairman, National Board of Trustees, Executive Committee and Finance Committee; chairman, Pensions Investment Committee; member, Nominating Committee). In 2016, Russo became a member of the Pro Bono Institute Esther F. Lardent Fund for Innovation in Pro Bono National Leadership Committee.
He is also a member of The Economic Club of New York and the Fellows of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Russo has authored numerous articles and books on topics in the commodities, securities and corporate legal fields relating to financial market regulation.
Who's Who
Russo is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in Finance and Business, and Who's Who in American Education. He also has been listed in the National Law Journal as one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America."
Russo is an inaugural inductee into the Futures Hall of Fame.
Honors & Awards
Recipient, Mr. Russo and the AIG team, Best Global In-House Legal Department – M&A from Acquisition International Magazine (2016) (a vanity award)
Showcased in the Financial Times Global General Counsel 30 (2016)
Recipient, Financial Times Most Innovative General Counsel in North America (2015)
Recipient, US In-House Individual of the Year for Insurance from The Legal 500 (2015)
Recipient, Top General Counsel from First Chair (2014)
Recipient, Mr. Russo and the AIG Legal Team, Pro Bono Partner Award (2014)
Recipient, Pro Bono Partnership Champion Award (2014)
Recipient, Mr. Russo and the AIG Legal Team, Best Legal Department from Corporate Counsel (2014)
Recipient, "St. Thomas More Award" from the Inner-City Scholarship Fund (2012)
Recipient, “Humanitarian Award” from the Institute of International Education (2012)
Named “Legend in Law” by the Burton Awards for Legal Achievement (2011)
Recipient, “Community Leadership Award” from the Urban Justice Center (2011)
Named one of “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America” by National Law Journal (numerous times)
Recipient, Securities Industry Association Distinguished Leadership Award (2006)
Chicago Board of Trade – honored for the development, introduction, and ongoing support of the first interest rate futures contract (2006)
March of Dimes WalkAmerica #1 Adult Walker in the Nation (2005, 2006, 2007) (see p. 17)
Inaugural inductee, Futures Industry Association Hall of Fame (2005)
Recipient, The Bond Market Association Chairman’s Achievement Award (2005)
Publications
- Professor Thomas A. Russo. Credit Crisis: As Seen through Different Lenses, Selected Readings compiled for 2009 Graduate Class (B9301-118) of Columbia Business School.
- Thomas A. Russo. "Risk Management", ALI-ABA Business Law Course Material Journal, February, 2007.
- Thomas A. Russo. “Corporate Governance as a Risk Matter”, ALI-ABA Course of Study Materials: Broker-Dealer Regulation, January 13–14, 2007.
- Thomas A. Russo. “Remarks on the Legal Risks of Derivatives”, Risk Management: The State of the Art, The NYU Salomon Center Series on Financial Markets and Institutes, Volume 8; edited by Stephen Figlewski and Richard M. Levich; Kluwer Academic Publishers; 2002.
- Thomas A. Russo and Marlisa Vinciguerra. "Developments in United States Derivatives Regulation", The Handbook of Equity Derivatives, 1995.
- Thomas A. Russo and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. "How Equity Derivatives are Regulated (Parts 1 and 2)", ALI-ABA Course Materials Journal, (Volume 18, August 1993, No. 1; Volume 18, October 1993, No. 2).
- Thomas A. Russo and Sheila G. Jennings. "Issues Relating to Hybrid Products", ALI-ABA Course of Study: Broker-Dealer Regulation (January 10–11, 1991).
- Thomas A. Russo and David S. Mitchell. "Commodity Price Exposure Management", Handbook of Currency and Interest Rate Risk Management, New York Institute of Finance, New York, New York (1990); Chapter 40.
- Thomas A. Russo and David C. Worley. Professionals, Securities Guaranteed by Insurance Policies, Margin, When-Issued Trading and Other Issues", Corporate Law and Practice, Course Handbook Series, Number 555 (1987).
- Thomas A. Russo. "Regulation of Commodity Trading Professionals", Commodities and Futures Trading 1976 (Practising Law Institute, 1976).
- Thomas A. Russo. "Risk and Riskless Arbitrage in Exchange and Tender Offers", Securities Regulation at page 1173 (Prentice-Hall 1973).
Books
- The 2008 Financial Crisis and Its Aftermath: Addressing the Next Debt Challenge (co-author) (Group of Thirty, 2011)
- Credit Crunch: Where Do We Stand? (author) (Group of Thirty, 2008)
- Regulation of Brokers, Dealers and Securities Markets (contributor) (Warren, Gorham & Lamont, 1977) - ISBN 978-0-88262-133-3
- Regulation of the Commodities Futures and Options Markets (contributor)(Shepard's/McGraw-Hill, 1983) - ISBN 978-0-07-054348-5
References
- ↑ "Patton Boggs Lands Top Financial Lawyer". PR Newsire. April 9, 2009.