t|e General Counsel Announces New Leadership

Atlanta, Ga. (August 8, 2022) – t|e General Counsel, the fractional general counsel practice powered by Taylor English Duma LLP, announced leadership changes today. Gray McCalley, co-founder of t|e General Counsel, is retiring from the practice of law. Rhonda Parish, a current partner with t|e General Counsel, will now serve as co-chair with co-founder, Allen W. Nelson.

“We are incredibly thankful for Gray’s contributions to this team, and for helping lay the groundwork for t|e General Counsel,” said Nelson. “We wish the very best for Gray in his retirement, as we welcome Rhonda into her new position.”

McCalley partnered with Nelson to launch t|e General Counsel in October 2020. Our fractional general counsel team is comprised of former senior legal officers who support businesses with experience and expertise gained from serving within companies. Because of their many years of partnering  with business owners and operators, our team knows how a legal function should help drive the success of a business. Since the start in 2020, the team has grown from 12 to 17 attorneys with diverse in-house experience and industry skill sets.

Parish was named partner at t|e General Counsel in August 2021. She was the Chief Legal Officer at Ruby Tuesday, Inc., the Chief Legal and Risk Officer at Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, the Chief Legal Officer at Denny’s Corporation, and the Assistant General Counsel at Walmart. Filling the third in-house lawyer role at Walmart, Parish assisted the company with exponential growth, including the development and introduction of its Sam’s Club and the Walmart SuperCenter operations, and the entry into international markets, beginning with Mexico. At Denny’s Corporation, she was part of a successful turnaround effort that took the company from a multi-concept operation of primarily company-owned restaurants to a single brand, Denny’s, that was predominantly franchised. At both Einstein Noah and Ruby Tuesday, she led the sale process that resulted in each company going from public to private. At Denny’s, Einstein Noah, and Ruby Tuesday, Parish also served as a member of executive management and helped develop and implement the strategic direction of these companies. Her rich and varied experience runs the gamut of an in-house legal practice, including the basics of how to set-up and staff the department.  She also has significant expertise handling corporate governance and compliance matters, mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution, labor and employment issues, international entry and expansion, and franchise development.

In addition, Parish is passionate about volunteering with IDignity, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists the disadvantaged in obtaining documentation for an official ID or license.

“Over the past year, Rhonda has shown how she applies her expertise in the restaurant industry to successfully serve as a trusted partner to sophisticated businesses across the country,” added Nelson. “Her experience has prepared her well to co-lead our fractional general practice, and I look forward to serving as co-chair of t|e General Counsel beside her.”

Under the leadership of Nelson and Parish, t|e General Counsel will continue to help businesses solve the challenge of doing more with less, providing senior-level legal counsel to all industries, and to serve as business partners to clients.