About

Gail Lione is a senior executive with business strategy, intellectual property, human resources and corporate governance experience in the C-Suite. She is Senior Counsel at Dentons US LLP, where she co-chairs the firm's ESG Task Force and D&I committee. She is also an adjunct professor of intellectual property law at Georgetown University Law School and a Fellow of the ESG Center of The Conference Board. She currently is a director of two companies, Sargento Foods Inc and Badger Meter, Inc (NYSE:BMI); and was formerly a director of The F. Dohmen Co. For more than 23 years, Ms. Lione served as a senior executive and general counsel of 3 companies in 3 different industries: global marketing/manufacturing; publishing, printing and digital imaging; and insurance, banking and financial services. 

Board Profile

                        Gail Lione is a senior executive with business strategy, intellectual property, human resources, and corporate governance experience in the C-Suite. She is a sought after board member for corporations, both public and private. She has been a member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee of Sargento Foods Inc. since 2006 and now serves on its Compensation Committee; and she has been a member of the Board of Directors of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) since February 2012, is a member of its Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees, and served as its Lead Director from April 2015 to April 2017. Ms. Lione formerly served as a director of Imperial Sugar Company (NASDAQ:IPSU) and a director of The F. Dohmen Co, a Wisconsin private company in the life science services business. As a current corporate director, she is a member of Women Corporate Directors, Washington DC chapter. Ms.Lione presently as Senior Counsel at Dentons US LLP where she draws upon her experience as a former general counsel and as an active board member to advise executive leadership and boards about governance risk management, intellectual property and ESG (environmental, social/sustainability and governance) issues. She serves as a Fellow of the ESG Center of the Conference Board. She also continues and an adjunct professor of intellectual property law at Georgetown University Law School. She previously taught at Marquette University Law School and American University Law School. For more than 23 years, Ms. Lione served as General Counsel of 3 companies in 3 different industries: global marketing/manufacturing; publishing, printing and digital imaging; and insurance, banking and financial services. In her most recent assignment, she was the Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. until May 2010. She also served as President of The Harley-Davidson Foundation from 2006 until May of 2011 when she retired from the company. During her almost 14 year career with Harley-Davidson she was a member of the executive leadership team and also served as Vice President of Human Resources for 2 years. As an executive officer of this Fortune 500 public company, she managed all worldwide legal affairs, corporate governance and compliance for the company including its financial services subsidiary and its trademark holding company.  For the 7 years prior to joining Harley-Davidson, Ms. Lione was General Counsel and Secretary of U.S. News & World Report and its affiliates, The Atlantic Monthly Company, Applied Graphics Technologies and Applied Printing Technologies. Her first General Counsel position from 1986-89 was with Sun Life Group of America in Atlanta, Georgia where she managed the legal and regulatory affairs of 5 insurance companies licensed in 50 states. Ms. Lione started her legal career as a real estate tax lawyer with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia and then with Hansell & Post in Atlanta where she was seconded to John Portman’s architectural and development companies for about 2 years. From 2000 to 2010, Ms Lione served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Manufacturers and was a Trustee of its Manufacturing Institute from 2002 to 2007. She was also a Trustee of the Copyright Society of the USA from 1996-1999. In January 2015, she was elected as a member of the American Law Institute. Ms. Lione is presently a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Rochester and serves on its Audit and Human Resources Committees. In Washington DC, she is on the Boards of Dog Tag Bakery, Inc., the Abramson Scholarship Foundation and the International Senior Lawyers Project; and in Milwaukee, she is on the Board of the Milwaukee Art Museum where she also served as its Secretary until 2017. She is an Emeritus member of the Board of Milwaukee Women, Inc.  She was Co-Chair of the 2013 Campaign for the United Performing Arts Fund and Co-Chair of the 2004 United Way campaign for Metropolitan Milwaukee. Ms. Lione also served as Chair of the Board of the Bradley Center Community Sports & Entertainment Support, Inc, a support organization for the former Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her other professional associations include being a member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, and the Board of Managers of the Law Alumni Society of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In 2011, she was appointed as a member of the MillerCoors Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Council in recognition of her commitment to diversity and inclusion and served until 2017; and the National Women’s Leadership Council of United Way (now called Women United Global Leadership Council) in recognition of her years of service as co-chair of the Milwaukee Women’s Initiative Council. From 2017 to June of 2019, she served as the Chair of the Women United Global Leadership Council of United Way Worldwide which represents over 75,000 women. In recognition of her leadership of this organization, Ms. Lione received the Linda T. Mellowes Woman Leader of the Year Award Ms. Lione was also honored by DirectWomen with the Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Award for serving with distinction as an independent director of public companies and for working to advance the value of diversity in board positions. Ms. Lione received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Rochester in 2011 and was named the Milwaukee BizTimes Woman Business Executive of the Year for 2012. In 2013, she was recognized by Tempo Milwaukee with its annual Mentor Award and, in 2014, she received the ABA's Mayre Rasmussen Award for the Advancement of Women in International Law. Directors & Boards magazine featured Ms. Lione as a Director to Watch in its 2015 Annual Report. Ms. Lione is a frequent speaker on corporate governance, ESG, intellectual property and women’s issues. Ms. Lione received her BA degree in Political Science magna cum laude/phi beta kappa from the University of Rochester and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania. She is married to Barry Grossman, an Administrative Patent Judge on the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and has a daughter, Margo, who is a medical student at Johns Hopkins. July 2021                                                                                                                             

Board Experience

Sargento Foods Inc, Wisconsin private corporation, since 2006. Current member of its Compensation Committee and past member of its Audit Committee.

Badger Meter, Inc (NYSE: BMI), since 2012. Current member of its Compensation Committee and Corporate Governance Committee. Served as Lead Director from April 2015-April 2017.

Formerly a director of Imperial Sugar company (NASDAQ:IPSU) and a director of The F. Dohmen Co, a Wisconsin private company in the life science services business.

Professional Summary

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

2016– Present    SENIOR COUNSEL, DENTONS US LLP

                            Washington, DC

2011 – Present  ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW

2015  to Present–Georgetown University Law School, Washington, D.C.

2016 Spring Semester– American University Law School

2011 – 2014 – Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI

1997 – May 2011   HARLEY-DAVIDSON, INC.

  Milwaukee, WI

2006 – May 2011 – President, The Harley-Davidson Foundation. Managed the charitable activities of The Harley-Davidson Foundation and the Company.

1997 – May 2010 – Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer

Managed all worldwide legal affairs, corporate governance and compliance of a Fortune 500 public company. Participated as a member of the Executive Leadership Team.

Served as Secretary to the Board of Directors and Chief Compliance Officer of the Company; and served on subsidiary boards of Harley-Davidson Financial Services, H-D Michigan, Inc. (trademark holding company) and the Harley-Davidson Foundation.

Managed human resources department (including labor union relations) as acting Vice President of Human Resources from February 1999 to November 2000.

1990 – 1997 U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, L.P.,

THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY COMPANY,

APPLIED PRINTING TECHNOLOGIES, L.P. AND
APPLIED GRAPHICS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 

Washington, D.C. – General Counsel

Managed all legal affairs of the Companies; responsible for all corporate and partnership legal activities including litigation, acquisitions, financings and compliance.

Responsible for review of all activities involving online publication, circulation, advertising and marketing; prepublication review; employee relations (both union and nonunion) and benefits; real estate; and intellectual property.

1989 – 1990 MARYLAND NATIONAL BANK

Baltimore, MD – Vice President

Managing Director – Credit Enhancement (1990); Manager – Asset Sales Administration (1989)

Chief counsel responsible for credit enhancement product lines and the review of all asset sales involving credit card and home equity transactions (prior to MBNA spinoff); responsible for all SEC, tax and regulatory aspects of assets sales and reporting to the Finance Committee and Board of Directors.

1986 – 1989 SUN LIFE GROUP OF AMERICA, INC.

Atlanta, GA – Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary

Member of Board of Directors of insurance companies and senior management committees. Managed all legal affairs, government relations and regulatory activities of five insurance companies licensed in fifty states and affiliated companies, totaling in excess of $5.3 billion in assets; responsible for acquisition and disposition of insurance assets.

1980 – 1986 THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF ATLANTA (WACHOVIA)

Atlanta, GA – Vice President

Developed Private Banking Division of $8 billion bank and managed banking group of two departments.

1975 – 1980 HANSELL & POST

Atlanta, Georgia

Attorney in commercial real estate finance group. Assistant General Counsel for Portman Properties, Atlanta (architect/developer), on loan from Hansell & Post (1976 – 1977).

1974 – 1975 MORGAN LEWIS & BOCKIUS

Philadelphia, PA

Attorney in commercial real estate/tax group.

Recognition & Awards

HONORS/RECOGNITIONS:

Linda T. Mellowes Woman Leader of the Year Award- 2019

Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Award- 2017

Director to Watch, Directors & Boards magazine, 2015 Annual Report

ABA Mayre Rasmussen Award for Advancement of Women in International Law- 2014

Milwaukee Tempo Mentor Award- 2013

Milwaukee BizTimes Woman Executive of the Year 2012

Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Rochester – October 2011

Honorary Chair, AWEAR Event for Sojourner Truth House – April 2009
Sacagawea Award, Professional Dimensions – 2008

Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation – 2008

Business Journal’s Women of  Influence Award (Corporate Executive) – 2007
YMCA Volunteer of the Year Award – 2007

St. Francis Children’s Center Community Service Award – 2006

Top 10 Women in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Magazine — 2006

Teaching Fellow at Salzburg Institute, Austria – 1989

Leadership Atlanta – 1988

Top 20 Women in Atlanta, Atlanta Business Chronicle – 1987

Top 40 Under 40, Atlanta Magazine – 1984

Outstanding Volunteer Golden Rule Award- 1984

Outstanding Atlanta (TOYPA) – 1982

Personal

NOT FOR PROFIT BOARD/PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION EXPERIENCE: 2011 – 2017    Member, MillerCoors Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Council 2003 – 2019    Member, Board of Directors, Bradley Center Sports & Entertainment Corp. and its Audit and Personnel Committees to 2014; Chairman of its Community Foundation 2014 to 2019 1997 – Present    Member, Board of Trustees, University of Rochester and its Audit and Human Relations Committees and Innovation & Research committee. 2000 – 2010    Member, Board of Directors, National Association of Manufacturers, and Trustee of its Manufacturing Institute (2002-2007) OTHER PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION EXPERIENCE: Senior Fellow of the Governance Center (now called ESG Center) of The Conference Board. Admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, Georgia, the District of Columbia and Wisconsin. 2015 - Present   Elected Member, American Law Institute 2015 - Present   Member, Board of Directors, International Senior Lawyers Project 2010 - Present    Member, Women Corporate Directors, Washington DC Chapter 2010 – Present    Member Emeritus, Steering Committee of Milwaukee Women, Inc. 2008 – Present     Member, The Fellows of the American Bar Association 2008 – Present   Member, Board of Managers of the Law Alumni Society, 1982 - 1985         University of Pennsylvania Law School 2005 – 2008     Member, ABA Commission for the Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity 2005 – 2006    Member, Board of Trustees, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under Law 1996 – 2000     Member, ABA Standing Committees on Publishing Oversight; and Strategic Communications 1996 – 2000     Member, ABA Litigation Section Judiciary Task Force 1996 – 1999     Trustee, Copyright Society of USA 1996 – 1998     Regional Co-Chair, ABA Forum on Communications Law 1994 – 1996     Co-Chair, ABA Litigation Section Committee on Federal Legislation 1993 – 1996     Chair (1995-1996) and Member of ABA Standing Committee on Association Communications 1993 – 1997     Member, Trustee Council, University of Rochester 1985 – 1989     Trustee, Client Security Fund of State Bar of Georgia 1981 – 1989     Member, Board of Atlanta Legal Aid Society 1980 – 1984     Member, American Bar Association House of Delegates 1976 – 1984     Secretary, Director and Committee Chair, Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Georgia COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION EXPERIENCE:     2014 – Present Member, Board of Directors, Dog Tag, Inc., Washington, D.C. 2013 - Present Member, Board of Directors, Milwaukee Ballet 2011 – Present Member, Women United Global Leadership Council for United Way; Chair 2017- 2019 2005 – Present Member, Greater Milwaukee Committee; Board Member 2007-2009 2004 – Present Member, Board of Directors, Milwaukee Art Museum; former Chair of the Nominating Committee ; Secretary January 2014-2018. 2000 – 2015 Member, Board of Directors, YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee; Co-chair of Partner-In-Youth Campaign 2005-2007; Chair of the Board 2010-2012 2012 - 2013 Co-Chair, United Performing Arts Foundation Campaign (exceeded $11 million goal).   2005 – 2009 Co-Chair, Greater Milwaukee Committee Program and Communications Committee 2002 – 2007 Member, Board of Trustees, University School of Milwaukee 2002 – 2007 Member, Board of Directors and Executive Committee, United Way of Greater Milwaukee; Co-chair of 2004 Milwaukee United Way Campaign (exceeded $36 million goal by one million) 2000 – 2011 Member, Campaign Cabinet, United Way of Greater Milwaukee, Co-chair, Women’s Initiative 2007 – 2011 1999 – 2002 Member, Advisory Board, Cardiovascular Center of the Medical College of Wisconsin 1995 Member, Finance Committee, National Symphony Ball 1989 – 1990 Member, Board of Directors of YMCA of Baltimore 1986 – 1987 Vice Chairman of Metro Atlanta United Way Campaign (met $39 million goal) 1985 – 1986 Chairman of Board, Atlanta Ballet.  Member of Board of Directors for 14 years (1975-1989) 1983 – 1985 Chairman of Board, Special Audiences, Inc.; Member of Board of Directors for 14 years (1975-1989) Until 1989 Member, Boards of Directors of the Metro Atlanta YMCA; Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Institute; Atlanta Community Food Bank