1012 Mullins Lane
Louisville, KY 40245
(502) 262-3300
| Experience | Years |
|---|---|
| General Counsel & Secretary (Former HR Manager), Steel Technologies Inc. | 1996-2008 |
| Promoted from Corporate Counsel in 1996 to Counsel/Secretary/Human Resources Manager in 1997 to General Counsel & Secretary in 2001 overseeing a three-person legal department. Designated Executive Officer in 2007. Responsible for closing of five acquisitions resulting in growth from 7 plants with $300M in sales to 25 plants with over $1.3B in sales. Negotiated legal aspects, and responsible for SEC and DOJ acceptance, of $532M sale agreement to Mitsui and successfully completed closing in 2007. Major Contributions: • Established, implemented and maintained Proactive Prevention program at corporate office and plants. • Identified and obtained over $2M in government incentives and state tax savings. • Successfully obtained recovery of $500k in 12 year-old written-off collection suit. • Brought and recovered $750k in design defect lawsuit despite unfavorable contract terms. • Completed successful Secondary Offering and Private Placement raising $97M. • Instrumental in development of, and long-time executive officer of, offshore captive insurance co-op which grew from 12 to over 200 member companies and saved the company a total of over $5M in premiums. • Implemented corporate structure reorganizations resulting in over $2M in state tax savings. • Responsible for legal aspects of SOX compliance including Code of Conduct and whistleblower. • Instituted program of union avoidance resulting in no campaigns since 1999. • Successful campaign resulting in the decertification of union at plant near Gary, Indiana. • Through various joint ventures, experience with international as well as certified minority companies. • Created environmental compliance program for 15 plants. • Strategy formulation and hands-on participation in the successful resolution of all company lawsuits including arguing before the Sixth and Seventh Circuit Federal Courts of Appeals. • Drafted annual Proxy Statements as well as a Shareholder Rights Plan and a Restricted Stock Plan approved by the Board of Directors and adopted by shareholder resolution. | |
| Assistant General Counsel, Tosco Corporation | 1993-1996 |
| Created law department for start-up company following the $700M purchase of a New Jersey refinery from Exxon including negotiation of successor agreement with Teamsters resulting in significantly reduced workforce. Addressed several patent issues related to the transition of the refinery from Exxon to Tosco. | |
| Attorney, Exxon Corporation | 1986-1996 |
| Trial Attorney, Houston, TX Judgment of $2,400,000 obtained and collected for a counterclaim in a strategically critical lawsuit. Trial attorney assigned to property damage, personal injury, antitrust, and Jones Act cases. Assisted Professor Charles Allan Wright, author of Wright & Miller treatise series, in Fifth Circuit Oral Argument. Oil and Gas Attorney, New Orleans, LA Successfully unitized contested natural gas field in Jackson, Mississippi. Drafted legislation in Mississippi that was adopted into law. Refinery Attorney, Linden, NJ Closed $700M sale of environmentally-sensitive oil refinery in New Jersey. Successfully handled two NLRB hearings and several arbitrations against the Teamsters. | |
| School | Focus | Degree | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | J.D. | 1986 | |
| University of Massachusetts - Amherst | Management | B.B.A. | 1982 |
| Honors: Summa Cum Laude | |||
| Location | Year Admitted |
|---|---|
| Texas | 1986 |
| Louisiana | 1989 |
| New Jersey | 1991 |
| Kentucky | 1994 |
| Activity | Organization | Start Year | End Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part-Time Faculty | University of Louisville | 2006 | |
| Details: UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, Louisville, KY 2006-Present Part-time Faculty, Commercial Law 301, Legal Environment of Business Spring 2009: Teaching three classes – Tuesday & Thursday 9:30am and 4pm, Thursday 5:30pm to 8:15pm; Total number of students: 140 | |||
| President | JK Success Enterprises LLC | 2008 | |
| Details: A legal/management speaker/consulting firm. Our focus is on workplace proactive prevention programs (harassment, union and injury) and conducting leadership/management and other skills training (success, negotiation and dealing with adversity) emphasizing humanistic values as critical components of maintaining an organization’s healthy culture while, in the process, enhancing the bottom line. Available for interactive presentations, more interactive workshops, and consulting. See our updated website at LearnSuccessToday.com | |||
| Advisory Director | Thorntons, Inc. | 2002 | 2008 |
| Position | Years |
|---|---|
| Director, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce | 2004-2008 |
| Title | Publisher | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Learn Negotiation Today | ||
| University of Louisville | ||
| Learn Success Today | ||
| BB&T, University of Louisville, others | ||
| Proactive Prevention | ||
| Kentucky Bar Association, Marcus Evans General Counsel Summit, ALFA seminar | ||
| Remaining Non-Union | ||
| Kentucky Chamber of Commerce | ||
| Videos |
|---|
 Football StoryIntensity: Focused Passion story from Learn Success Today talk John Baumann tells the football story. To learn more about John Baumann visit ... |
 John Baumann, "Proactive Prevention" - Part 2 of 2Proactive Prevention Corporate House Counsel Speech John Baumann Presents "Proactive Prevention" to the Kentucky Bar Association. Part 2 of 2 |
 John BaumannProactive Workplace Harassment Prevention Programs John talks about the three topics he covers in presentations, his expertise, and successes. |
 John BaumannTangible Takeaways from Learn Success Today John Baumann talks about what he wants people to get from his presentations. |
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