ACC expands its overseas reach with new office and chief in Brussels

It’s no secret that the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) has ambitions beyond U.S. borders. And now it’s given its intentions concrete form: The in-house lawyers group has opened an office in Brussels, center of much of the European Union’s official operations. And with the opening of the office comes a new hire, Giuseppe Marletta (in the photo above) as managing director.

Marletta is a former general manager of the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA), and, according to ACC, has an extensive background in pan-European advocacy and high-level operations management.

The group says that its hiring of Marletta and the office opening will bring it closer to its 2,500 European members. But ACC isn’t exactly a newcomer to the old continent; its European chapter is 25 years old, and holds conferences regularly. This year will feature the 2019 Annual Conference in Edinburgh, the 2019 Global General Counsel Summit in London, and dozens of roundtables and events on the topics affecting European corporate lawyers.

“We are happy to establish a permanent presence in Brussels, and absolutely delighted to welcome such a talented executive as Giuseppe to the ACC team,” said Veta T. Richardson, ACC president and CEO.  “It is an important signal to our members that we are serving an international community of in-house counsel, whose needs and interests cross borders and languages.”

Marletta sits on the board of the European Society for Associations Executives and the advisory board of Boardroom magazine. He studied at the University of Catania and speaks English, French, and Spanish in addition to Italian. “I am excited to join the ACC team,” Marletta said in a statement. “The 2,500 members of ACC Europe are our top priority, in and out of the European Union. I fully expect our new Brussels office will mean amplified services for our members and greater overall growth.”