Jacksonville-based Regency Centers Corp. announced March 4 that Senior Vice President and General Counsel Barbara Johnston will retire May 1 and be succeeded by Michael Herman.
Regency owns, operates and develops shopping centers nationwide.
Herman will join the company April 6 as senior vice president and general counsel-elect.
Johnston became Regency's first general counsel in 2010. The company said she advised senior management on legal rights, obligations and risks for corporate and other transactions, as well as company matters and general corporate compliance.
She counseled management through significant corporate transactions, including Regency’s merger with Equity One in 2017.
Johnston previously served as a partner with McGuireWoods LLP, practicing in business law with an emphasis on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and general corporate law matters.
Before that, Johnston worked as general counsel for Jacksonville-based Florida Rock Industries Inc. and as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court in Jacksonville.
“Barbara’s leadership and trusted, wise counsel has strongly benefited Regency for the last decade. We will miss her and wish her all the best in her retirement,” said Regency President and CEO Lisa Palmer in the news release.
Herman comes to Regency after serving as senior vice president and general counsel of Jacksonville-based Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. since 2013.
He joined Rayonier as vice president and general counsel in 2003.
From 1997 to 2003, he served as senior vice president and general counsel of GenTek Inc. and its predecessor company, General Chemical Corp., where he started in 1992.
