Vice President, Diversity and Deputy General Counsel
Federated Department Stores
William “Bill” L. Hawthorne III has been appointed to the newly created position of vice president, diversity and deputy general counsel of Federated Department Stores, which is one of the nation’s leading department store chains.
In this role, Hawthorne will be responsible for corporate-wide diversity initiatives, including employment, organizational development, work environment, minority vendor relationships, purchasing, and business development.
As deputy general counsel, he will maintain responsibility for major legal practice areas. Hawthorne will maintain offices in both Atlanta and Cincinnati, and will continue to reside in Atlanta.
Prior to his promotion, Hawthorne served as divisional vice president/assistant general counsel in the company’s regional law department in Atlanta, a position he has held since 1996.
A native of Ohio, Hawthorne is a 1981 graduate of Morehouse College. He received his law degree from Emory University in 1984 and began his career in private practice before moving to the public sector as a trial lawyer for the City of Atlanta and the Fulton County District Attorneys Office from 1985-90.
Hawthorne joined Federated in 1990 and has held positions of increasing responsibility in the company’s law department since that time.