Getting to Know ACC St. Louis President, Beverly Garner
Title: Associate General Counsel
Company: Bunge
In current position for: 22 years
Law School: Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Undergrad: Central Methodist University, Fayette, MO
On January 25, 2024, Beverly Garner was elected the 33rd President of the St. Louis Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. She has been in her current position for 22 years. Beverly manages Bunge’s claims and litigation matters. Her cases involve antitrust claims, biotech issues, commercial disputes, personal injuries, and environmental enforcement actions. She has led several major internal investigations and coordinated responses to governmental investigations including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, Beverly regularly advises facility personnel concerning industry association rules, contract enforcement, and other day to day operational issues.
Beverly serves on Bunge’s contributions committee, which supports organizations and initiatives related to education and food security in the St. Louis community and throughout the US. Prior to Bunge, Beverly was a partner at Polsinelli and an Associate at Coburn & Croft, now known as Thompson Coburn. Beverly was also a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Elwood Thomas, Missouri Supreme Court. In 2024, she received a Corporate Counsel Award from the St. Louis Business Journal.
In addition to serving on the ACC Board, Beverly serves on the Board of Directors for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis. As a Board member, she served on the Capital Campaign Committee for the construction of a new House, the Executive Committee, the Development Committee, and the Golf/Dinner Auction Committee. She also coordinates Bunge’s support of RMHC’s annual Tab Top Pandemonium and other volunteer opportunities to support RMHC. Beverly earned her B.A., English, from Central Methodist University in 1988, summa cum laude. In 1991, she earned her J.D. from Washington University School of Law.
1. If I was not an attorney I would be: If I were not an attorney, I would be a journalist or librarian. I would also like to operate a bed and breakfast.
2. My hobbies are: My non-work hours are spent playing pickleball, bicycling, hiking, cooking, and visiting my adult children.
3. When I want to relax I: To relax, I immerse myself in my hobbies. To get away from electronics, I sew (mostly piecing quilts and other projects).
4. My music playlist is dominated by: I have diverse musical tastes, so it includes folk music I enjoy with my husband, a classical opera recommended by our son, and songs from our daughter’s favorite Broadway musicals.
5. My food guilty pleasure is: I really like pancakes with real maple syrup.
6. My favorite family vacation was: My favorite family vacations are outside. Our annual family vacations were to Rocky Mountain National Park for hiking and fly fishing. They will forever be my favorite trips. We also have annual canoeing trips on some of the beautiful streams and rivers in Missouri. We have biked across Missouri a couple of times and can frequently be found on the Katy Trail.
7. My favorite type of book to read for pleasure is: Although I like a great work of fiction, I most often can be found reading cookbooks.
8. I became involved with ACC St. Louis because: Kate Molamphy motivated me to get involved in ACC STL. Kate constitutes a true ambassador for ACC not only in the legal community but also in the St. Louis community and beyond.
9. I think the real value our members get from involvement with ACC is: The real value of the ACC membership is the excellent CLE programming followed closely by the networking.
10. My advice to attorneys new to the in-house status is: I recommend attorneys new to in-house attend all of the meetings. Request to be invited to business updates and planning meetings and other events to allow you to learn the business. Be proactive and ask questions, and do not be shy about suggesting ways the in-house legal department can operate more efficiently and effectively.
11. The best way to get more involved with the ACC St. Louis Chapter is: Members who want to get more involved should attend events, engage members of the Board and committees in conversation, and join a committee and sign up for one of the global networks.
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