Occupation EVP & General Counsel Role Executive | Name Thomas Russo | |
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Born November 6, 1943 (age 80) ( 1943-11-06 ) Staten Island, NY Alma mater Fordham University
Cornell Law School
Johnson School of Management Employer American International Group Books Regulation of Brokers, Dealers, and Securities Markets Education Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management | ||
Thomas A. Russo is executive vice president and general counsel of American International Group, Inc., with responsibility for legal, compliance, and regulatory and government affairs. Prior to joining AIG in February 2010, Russo was senior counsel at Patton Boggs LLP. Russo was also an Adjunct Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
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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 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).
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, Top General Counsel from First Chair (2014)
Recipient, Mr. Russo and his Legal Team, Pro Bono Partner Award (2014)
Recipient, Pro Bono Partnership Champion Award (2014)
Recipient, Mr. Russo and his Legal Team, Best Legal Department from Corporate Counsel (2014)
Recipient, Mr. Russo and his Legal Team, Legal Department of the Year - Outstanding Legal Department from New York Law Journal (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)
Selected to New York Super Lawyers, Securities and Corporate Finance, Business/Corporate, Super Lawyers magazine (2008-2009)
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)