Paul Williams is a Partner Emeritus and Advisor for In-House Counsel Recruiting, based in Chicago, and an advisor for Allegis Partners.
Until his recent retirement, Paul was a long-time member of our In-House Counsel Recruiting Group, conducting general counsel and other senior-level searches. He also was co-leader of Allegis Partners' North America CEO & Board Practice, specializing in identifying top board candidates and assessing organizational corporate governance. In addition, he served as Director of Global Diversity Search, leading our efforts throughout the country to assist legal organizations in enhancing their diversity. He is a well-respected leader in the area of diversity, frequently speaking on diversity-related issues.
Paul was named to Lawdragon's "100 Leading Legal Consultants and Strategists" in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Also, in 2016, Paul was named one of the United States' most influential black corporate directors by Savoy magazine.
Paul and his wife, Laura, who is also a lawyer, are the proud parents of two grown sons and split their time between Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. In his spare time, Paul enjoys movies and physical fitness.Prior to joining Major, Lindsey & Africa, Paul served for several years as executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary of Cardinal Health Inc., a Fortune 20 healthcare services company with $80 billion in revenues and 55,000 employees. Responsible for managing legal affairs globally, he also served as the co-chairman of the company's Diversity Council.
Paul began his career as a corporate and securities associate with the large law firms of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Southern California and Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease in Ohio. He also served as general counsel of a computer software company and group counsel for the dairy division of a multinational corporation.
Paul is a member of the boards of directors of the following companies: Compass Minerals, a publicly traded producer of salt and other inorganic mineral products; a cluster of numerous funds in the American Funds mutual fund family (part of the privately held Capital Group); Public Storage, an S&P 500 and FT Global 500 REIT that primarily acquires, develops, owns and operates self-storage facilities; and Romero Power, a publicly traded maker of battery modules for commercial electric vehicles. Paul is the President of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). He previously served as the lead independent director of State Auto Financial Corporation, a property and casualty insurance company. He also served as a member of the boards of directors of Bob Evans, an operator of family dining restaurants, and Essendant, a Fortune 500 distributor of business products. Paul has sat on numerous charitable and educational boards, including Physicians for Human Rights, Columbus Academy, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Arthritis Foundation, Buckeye Boys Ranch, and Salesian Boys and Girls Club.
Yale University Law School: J.D.
Harvard University: B.A., Government, cum laude
