ArvinMeritor’s senior VP/general counsel Baker honored

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ArvinMeritor Inc. recently announced that Vernon Baker, senior vice president and general counsel, has been named a 2008 “Leader in the Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and Midwest In-House for his outstanding professional accomplishments within the company as well as the broader legal community.

Baker was nominated for his expertise in managing all legal aspects of mergers, divestitures and joint ventures – including his recent management of the sales of two ArvinMeritor business units. He was honored Apr. 24 at the Laurel Manor Special Event Center in Livonia, Mich.

Baker has overall legal responsibility for ArvinMeritor’s global operations and its subsidiaries. He directs all legal activities within the company, including corporate governance, acquisitions and divestitures, litigation, business standards compliance, regulatory compliance and intellectual property. He also has responsibility for the environmental, health and safety function, as well as corporate development and supplier diversity.

In addition to his daily responsibilities, Baker regularly participates in outside panels sponsored by legal organizations and leads discussions on issues of legal relevance, including diversity and ethics. He is the executive sponsor of the company’s Diversity Council and acts as a mentor to young, minority attorneys.

Before joining Meritor in 1999, Baker spent 17 years at Hoechst Celanese Corp., where he was vice president and general counsel of corporate research and technology. Prior to that, he served as associate general counsel for Hoechst’s advanced material group. Baker began his professional career in 1978 as an associate with the law firm of Schnader, Harrison, Segal and Lewis.