There have been two major themes to Alan’s professional career. First, for a number of years he was a corporate attorney, eventually being elected Corporate Secretary of General Foods Corporation, Rye Brook, NY while continuing to serve as an active corporate legal counsel. As Corporate Secretary, besides administering the relationship with the Company’s directors and stockholders, he was responsible for the Company’s compliance with federal and state securities laws and its relationship with the New York Stock Exchange. At the time GF was one of the “Dow 30 Industrials”.

Second, he became half-owner of a franchised auto service business with multiple shops in Maine where his principal responsibilities were legal oversight and financial management.

He was with General Foods for almost 12 years, beginning as Chief Counsel of its fast-food franchise subsidiary; subsequently, he served as Division Counsel for all the major product divisions, concluding with responsibility for GF’s flagship Coffee Division, which included brands such as Maxwell House, Brim, and Sanka. During his years with GF he was responsible for a number of major international transactions both in Europe and southern Africa.

He left General Foods after its acquisition by Philip Morris Companies, having been involved in preparing the legal documents for the sale of the company. He then became a partner in Weber Neville & Shaver, a law firm with offices in Stamford, CT and New York City, where he practiced corporate and business law until his retirement in 1995.

Prior to General Foods Alan was House Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Foster Grant Co., Inc., Leominster, MA. Although known for its line of sunglasses, the company was one of the largest independent producers of polystyrene, styrene monomer and nylon 6, all major forms of plastics. While with Foster Grant he negotiated the establishment of a three-way joint venture in Brazil, and then, on behalf of the venture, the technology and equipment supply contracts required for the project. He departed Foster Grant in early 1975 after its acquisition by Hoechst, AG of Frankfurt, Germany.

He began his corporate career with Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, MI where he had a number of responsibilities, most significantly serving as the company’s labor attorney and also handling its trademark, copyright and patent work. He was at Kellogg from 1965 until early 1972.

After receiving his law degree in 1963 Alan began his career as an associate attorney with Clark, Klein, Winter, Parsons & Prewitt, the pre-eminent labor law firm in Detroit. The firm is now known as Clark Hill. He is admitted as an attorney to practice law in five (5) states: Michigan, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Maine.

Besides his legal experience, Alan has also been a newspaper reporter for a major metropolitan daily, wrote for his college news service, edited the law school alumni magazine, and edited a reference book entitled Successful Model Business Contracts and Agreements.