Squire Patton Boggs Phoenix partner Frank M. Placenti, along with a group of the leading corporate governance lawyers from the US and Canada, have founded the American College of Governance Counsel. The College is a professional, educational and honorary association of lawyers widely-recognized for their achievements in the field of governance. Mr. Placenti serves as the inaugural President and as a Trustee of the College.
Through its programs, the College will address the major governance issues facing business enterprises including developing challenges to traditional models of governance, risk management, shareholder engagement, and an increasingly complex regulatory and enforcement environment. Membership is extended by invitation only to lawyers who have practiced law for a minimum of 15 years, 10 of which must have been in the field of corporate governance. Additionally, the Board of Trustees has elected an inaugural class of 36 Fellow to join the 14 founding Fellows and has also admitted 9 Honorary Fellows. A complete list of the founders and Fellows can be viewed on the College’s website.
With more than 30 years’ experience in corporate governance and M&A issues, Mr. Placenti is no stranger to the boardroom, both as an advisor to some of Arizona’s largest public companies and as a member of numerous public and private company and non-profit boards of directors. He has also had leading roles in advising boards throughout the country and in Asia in connection with governance matters.
In addition to his leadership role in the College, Mr. Placenti currently serves as a Vice Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee of the American Bar Association and as Lead Director for a private company based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mr. Placenti has had leadership roles in several non-profit organizations within the Phoenix community. He formerly served as the chair of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, Chair of the Metropolitan Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation and as a member of that hospital’s Board of Directors. He currently serves as a member of the Board of the UTI Foundation.
Squire Patton Boggs Chair and Global CEO Mark J. Ruehlmann stated: “We are proud to see Frank take his place among America’s leading corporate governance lawyers and are pleased that our firm could provide much of the administrative support for the launch of the College.”
“Frank is a constant creator. He has innovated numerous non-profit efforts in the Valley and is frequently called upon by his clients to design or redesign their board and governance structures,” added Lew Clark, managing partner of the Squire Patton Boggs Phoenix office.
