Murray Garnick, executive vice president and general counsel of Altria Group, has told the company he plans to retire, effective April 1, 2024. Robert McCarter will succeed Garnick at that time.
Tobacco company Altria’s wholly owned subsidiaries include manufacturers of both combustible and smoke-free products such as Philip Morris USA and brands such as Marlboro.
Garnick leads the company’s law department and the corporate secretary’s office, regulatory affairs and regulatory sciences functions. He has been in this role since 2017. Garnick has worked with Altria and its associated companies, both internally and externally, across four decades. He joined Altria Client Services (ALCS), which provides professional services and support to Altria Group and its operating companies, in 2008 as senior vice president and associate general counsel. He later became deputy general counsel for ALCS.
During his time with Altria, Garnick has led the legal support for sales, marketing, regulation and product development and intellectual property matters. He has also supervised the management of tobacco, health and other litigation brought against Altria Group and its operating companies.
Before joining Altria, he had represented the company and its subsidiaries for more than 20 years as a senior partner at Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC. While at the law firm, Garnick represented the company in litigation, specializing in product liability and consumer protection with an emphasis on appellate litigation.
McCarter is at present senior vice president and associate general counsel with ALCS, where he supervises the management of tobacco, health and other litigation. He joined Altria in 2015 following 18 years in private practice representing Altria and its subsidiaries in litigation matters.
Billy Gifford, Altria’s CEO, says in a statement: ‘Under Murray’s guidance, we have successfully managed significant litigation challenges and established Altria as a leading advocate for tobacco-harm reduction policies in the US.
‘In addition to Murray’s significant individual contributions, his passion for developing world-class legal and regulatory talent has contributed tremendously to Altria’s success. I am grateful for his many contributions and I wish him the best in retirement.’
Ben Maiden
Ben Maiden is the editor-at-large of Governance Intelligence, an IR Media publication, having joined the company in December 2016. He is based in New York. Ben was previously managing editor of Compliance Reporter, covering regulatory and compliance...
