ATLANTA, May 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern
Company today announced the election of Larry D. Thompson as lead independent director
of its board of directors.
A member of the Southern Company board of directors from 2010
through 2012, Thompson rejoined the company's board in 2014. He
currently serves as a John A. Sibley
professor of corporate and business law at The University of Georgia School of Law.
Thompson previously served as deputy attorney general in the
U.S. Department of Justice and led the department's National
Security Coordination Council. In 2002, President George W.
Bush named Thompson to head the Corporate Fraud Task
Force.
His broad-ranging legal career has also included serving as a
litigator at the Atlanta, Georgia law firm of King
& Spalding LLP – where he was named partner in 1986;
chairing the Judicial Review Commission on Foreign Asset
Control; being named an independent counsel for the Department
of Housing and Urban Development; serving as the U.S. attorney for
the Northern District of Georgia; and acting as a
member of the attorney general's Economic Crime Council.
Thompson has also served as executive vice president of
government affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary of
PepsiCo, Inc. and as a senior fellow with The Brookings
Institution, a nonprofit public policy think tank based
in Washington, D.C.
"Success in business today requires a deep understanding of how
to address changing laws and regulations," said Southern Company
chairman, president and CEO Thomas A.
Fanning. "Larry's extensive legal experience in both the
public and private sectors has shaped an informed perspective that
will help us meet the needs of customers and investors."
Thompson is the recipient of the Edmund Jennings
Randolph Award for outstanding contributions to the
accomplishment of the Department of Justice's mission,
the Outstanding Litigator Award from the Federal Bar
Association and the A.T. Walden Award for
outstanding accomplishments in the legal profession from
the Gate City Bar Association, the oldest African-American bar
association in Georgia.
A member of the board of directors for the Graham Holdings
Company and various Franklin, Templeton and Mutual Series
Funds, Thompson is also an elected Fellow of the American Board of
Criminal Lawyers.
Thompson earned a bachelor's degree from Culver-Stockton
College, a Master of Arts from Michigan State University and a
juris doctor from the University of Michigan.
With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 44,000
megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is
the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its
subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and
affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in
four states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale
customers across America and a nationally recognized provider of
customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless
communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent
customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are
below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment
to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing
America's energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy
resources, including carbon-free nuclear, 21st century
coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating
new products and services for the benefit of
customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S.
Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs
magazine as a top military employer, recognized among the Top 50
Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, listed by Black Enterprise
magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and
designated a Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The
company has earned a National Award of Nuclear Science and History
from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and
commitment to nuclear development and is continually ranked among
the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most
Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at
www.southerncompany.com.
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SOURCE Southern Company