By Candace Higginbotham

The past few summers, the Regions Legal department has hosted a corporate law mini term for law school students serving as interns in Birmingham firms. Because the internships are already packed with informative programs and demanding work, the Regions team took a different approach this year.

Chief Governance Officer Andrew Nix and Legal Services Manager Katie Loggins invited the students to Regions Center for “An Afternoon at Regions” – a half-day session featuring presentations and discussions with leaders across the bank.

“We thought it would be beneficial for these law school students to get an overview of Regions, since we work so closely with the firms they’re working for this summer,” Nix said. “After all, the best lawyers have an intimate knowledge of their client’s business, and they serve as a trusted advisor. We also wanted to give the interns a glimpse at in-house life and show them what it’s like to work in a corporate law environment.”

Regions leaders provided information about key areas of the bank and how the Regions Legal department doesn’t just sit on the sidelines and offer advice and counsel, they are true business partners within the bank who are directly involved in decision making and strategic execution for the businesses

The 65 clerks attending this session, representing 10 local law firms, came away with a good feel for what it’s like to practice corporate law in a financial institution. But an unexpected benefit of the session was the practical, actionable career advice and professional guidance from top executives.

Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary Tara Plimpton provided an overview of the Regions Legal department, how the organizational structure and partnership approach support her management philosophy for how the team can best contribute to the bank’s success. Plimpton also shared her career journey and some lessons she’s learned along the way.

“Nothing is linear when it comes to a career path, and there are many ups and downs,” Plimpton said. “But it’s actually during the down periods when you learn the most. Just keep asking yourself, ‘Am I learning something? Am I growing and developing?’”

She encouraged the students to stretch themselves and not get complacent.

Be more than a lawyer, use your legal mind and your ability to look at things from different angles to help solve a problem and develop a strategic plan. Even if it’s not your job, if you see ways to make improvements or if you develop an interest in a specific topic, raise your hand.
Tara Plimpton, Regions Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary

Plimpton urged the students to prioritize learning, take on new things and keep in mind that change is a good thing and to always be open to it. But according to Plimpton, the number one piece of advice for a young lawyer, or anyone in the early stages of their career, is to make sure the company and team you work with align with your values.

“When I came to Regions I began to understand what a good corporate culture means,” she said. “In a collaborative, respectful environment, you can agree to disagree and then work together to come to the best decision for the company. Living our mission and values is tremendously important here at Regions, and every day our leaders make decisions with our associates, customers and communities in mind. It’s really a great place to work, with great people.”

John Jordan, head of Retail Banking joined the group to talk about the division he leads, which employs the largest number of associates in the company. This complex, customer-facing organization, which handles more than 50 million transactions each year, works closely with the Legal department and Jordan described that collaboration.

Jordan, too, offered sage career advice for the students. “In times of transition and rapid technological change like the one we’re in now, being adaptable is key,” he said. “Seek to learn and look for opportunities to shine and grow. Don’t be afraid to take risks – you learn quickly and can open doors when you take risks.”

John Jordan, head of Retail Banking joined the group to talk about the division he leads, which employs the largest number of associates in the company. This complex, customer-facing organization, which handles more than 50 million transactions each year, works closely with the Legal department and Jordan described that collaboration.

Jordan, too, offered sage career advice for the students. “In times of transition and rapid technological change like the one we’re in now, being adaptable is key,” he said. “Seek to learn and look for opportunities to shine and grow. Don’t be afraid to take risks – you learn quickly and can open doors when you take risks.”

John Jordan, head of Retail Banking joined the group to talk about the division he leads, which employs the largest number of associates in the company. This complex, customer-facing organization, which handles more than 50 million transactions each year, works closely with the Legal department and Jordan described that collaboration.

Jordan, too, offered sage career advice for the students. “In times of transition and rapid technological change like the one we’re in now, being adaptable is key,” he said. “Seek to learn and look for opportunities to shine and grow. Don’t be afraid to take risks – you learn quickly and can open doors when you take risks.”

Tom Speir, head of Strategy and Corporate Development, gave the law students a thorough overview of the company, including how and where the bank operates, key differentiators and business strategy.

Speir’s professional advice was straightforward and direct: “Be curious and ask questions. Become an expert.”

A panel of Community Engagement leaders took the stage, including Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation, Brett Shaffer, head of Community Relations and Wendi Boyen, head of Community Development Lending and Investment. The panel, moderated by Bradley Blair, from Regions’ Consumer Banking Legal team, talked about Regions’ role in the community and how the team helps execute the bank’s priority to foster inclusive prosperity.

Like the other speakers, this group offered helpful suggestions to ensure career success. “Don’t underestimate the importance of networking,” Self said. “Both in the firm and in the community.”

Boyen encouraged the students to get involved in the community through board service, volunteerism and pro bono work.

Shaffer offered a practical way to stay on track with your goals. “Schedule a one-one with yourself every week to make sure you are being effective and making an impact,” he said. 

The Legal leadership team closed the day with a panel discussion. The panel was moderated by Turner Benoist and featured Nix, Julie Metheny, Cinda York, Patrick Bodden, Ashley Bolender, Bevelyn Coleman, Elizabeth Taylor, Craig Williams and Ed Cotter.

This group of corporate law specialists talked about their career journeys and why they opted to go in-house versus working in a law firm. They described their day-to-day responsibilities and outlined when and how they work with outside firms. The Legal leaders also provided advice and described traits that good corporate lawyers should have.

Here’s a sampling:

• “Be a T-shaped professional, with deep expertise in one area and a broad understanding of other, related areas.”
• “Run your area of expertise like a business.”
• “Be a lifelong learner.”
• “Legal work is hard – focus on little things that you can get 1000% right. Then, that list starts to grow.”
• “Limit your career-limiting moves.”
• “Pivot on a dime and leave it behind you – don’t agonize over what you may have messed up. Perfection is not attainable.”
• “Always think about big picture. Strategic thinking is key.”
• “Be comfortable answering the question without 100 percent of the background.”
• “Don’t forget about the soft skills. Be helpful and have empathy and understanding. Focus on relationships.”

When the presentations were over, the students and advisors from the legal firms joined the Regions leaders for a casual meet and greet, to continue the conversation and ask additional questions. The Regions Legal team received kudos from everyone involved.

“I’m really pleased with the format and content of this forum,” Loggins said. “Our outreach to future lawyers is really important to the Regions team and we’ll continue to refine our processes and cover topics that inform and hopefully inspire students to consider corporate law as a career.”