SouthBank Legal Expands Corporate Compliance, White Collar, and Investigations Team With Hire of Former Senior ADM and Caterpillar In-House Counsel Brendan J. Gardiner

SouthBank Legal is pleased to announce that Brendan J. Gardiner has joined the firm as a Partner. Based in Boston, MA, Gardiner will focus his practice on helping companies and institutions manage their compliance and regulatory exposure, including enhancing their compliance programs, conducting due diligence, leading sensitive internal investigations, and designing and implementing effective remediation plans. Gardiner joins the firm’s high-profile White Collar and Investigations practice team after almost 20 years as in-house counsel for Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Caterpillar Inc. His move highlights an industry trend of prominent in-house lawyers returning to private practice at premier law firms.

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Brendan Gardiner

“We are excited to have Brendan join us and bring his vast in-house experience to assist CLOs and GCs assess and navigate risk for their companies,” stated Jesse Barrett, SouthBank Legal’s Washington, DC managing partner and Chambers USA-ranked White-Collar and Investigations attorney.  “Increasingly, our clients are providing us the opportunity to help them proactively manage a full array of legal, compliance, and geopolitical risks, and Brendan’s experience strengthens our ability to partner with clients to understand and address those risks before they materialize. I look forward to working alongside him in advising Fortune 500 and mid-market domestic and international clients in all aspects of their compliance operations.”

Before joining SouthBank Legal, Gardiner was Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for ADM, where he oversaw a global team of over 100 attorneys and legal professionals throughout 19 countries, providing a full scope of legal practices and processes to support ADM’s operations across 200+ countries. Prior to that, he was Chief Litigation and Regulatory Counsel for ADM. Before joining ADM, he was Lead Counsel, International Trade and Anti-Corruption for Caterpillar Inc., where he advised the company on anti-bribery, international sanctions, and tariff-related matters. Additionally, Gardiner was Lead Regional Counsel (EMEA), based in Brussels, and Lead Business Unit Counsel (Power Generation), based in California, for Caterpillar-owned Solar Turbines, Inc. Complementing his legal background, Gardiner has considerable experience designing and implementing insurance-based solutions to manage legal, operational, and geopolitical risks, having served as Director of Insurance and Risk Management at ADM.

“I am thrilled to be joining such an impressive team of lawyers at SouthBank Legal,” stated Gardiner.  “As the range and complexity of risks that CLOs and GCs are being asked to manage grows, in-house teams are increasingly looking to skilled outside lawyers who can provide high-quality, practical, business-oriented advice in a cost structure that meets their needs. SouthBank is a recognized leader in this space, and I look forward to working with the firm’s impressive and growing list of clients across all industries. I have been in their shoes and can help them think about risk holistically and design solutions to address challenges before they arise. Having Jesse, who's a former federal prosecutor, and other incredible attorneys on the same team allows us to handle any range of scenarios, including when engagement with government regulators becomes necessary.”

Gardiner clerked for the Honorable Susan H. Black at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.  He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School, where he was the Law Review Executive Editor, and his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.

Gardiner is the latest addition to SouthBank Legal’s growing team. Most recently, the firm announced the addition of Maggie King and Gregory Guest. King, a recognized leader in the evolving legal and regulatory frameworks surrounding AI and data, focuses on technology, AI, and intellectual property aspects of business and corporate matters, including licensing and M&A projects. She also counsels clients on governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance related to generative AI, cryptocurrency, and sensitive data. An experienced data scientist, King practiced in a Tier 1 Technology Law group at a top ranked Am Law 100 firm and served as a clerk for Judge Thomas L. Kirsch II on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Guest has extensive experience with buyers and sellers in both financial and strategic acquisitions, and serves as advisor to entrepreneurs, investors, and closely held businesses. In addition, he advises on corporate workouts and restructuring. Guest clerked for the Honorable Lee M. Jackwig on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Iowa and practiced at an Am Law 200 firm in Michigan.

About SouthBank Legal

SouthBank Legal, a Chambers USA ranked firm, routinely delivers smart, cost-effective business solutions to Fortune 500 global leaders as well as early-stage industry disrupters, guiding and fighting for clients in their highest-profile, highest-risk litigation from its offices in Washington, DC, Grand Rapids, MI, and northern Indiana. For more information, please visit https://southbank.legal/.

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