Walgreens names new general counsel

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Monday named Thomas Sabatino Jr. EVP, general counsel and corporate secretary, effective Sept. 12.

Sabatino replaces Dana Green, who is retiring after 37 years with the company, Walgreens stated.

"The clear legal counsel and advice, as well as strong ethical foundation and support for team members that Dana provided to the company throughout her career contributed greatly to Walgreens' growth and success during each year she was with the company," stated Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson. "Each member of the management team at Walgreens can thank her for the guidance and support she provided to them at some point in their career. All of us in the Walgreens family wish Dana and her family the best in her retirement."

Green, 61, joined the company in 1974 as an attorney in employee relations. She became director of that department before being promoted to divisional VP employee relations in 1998. She was named corporate VP human resources in 2000 and promoted to SVP, general counsel and corporate secretary in 2004. In 2010, she was named an EVP.

Sabatino, 52, joins Walgreens having held general counsel roles with United Airlines, Schering-Plough, Baxter International and American Medical International. "With each of these companies, Thomas acted as a close adviser to the CEO on central issues each organization faced," Wasson said. "His extensive background in health care and extraordinary legal experience make him a perfect fit for the organization as we move forward with our core strategies."

After beginning his career with a law firm and then moving into corporate law, Sabatino was named president and CEO in 1990 of privately held medical products manufacturer and distributor Secure Medical. In 1992, he joined American Medical International, a Dallas-based for-profit hospital chain with 40 acute care hospitals. Three years later he joined Baxter International and was named SVP and general counsel for the company in 1997.

Sabatino moved to Schering-Plough in 2004 as EVP and general counsel for global law and public affairs. He left Schering-Plough in November 2009 after its merger with Merck. In March 2010, he was appointed general counsel of United Airlines and immediately took a leading role in its merger negotiations with Continental Airlines. He departed United Continental Holdings earlier this year after completion of the merger.

Sabatino earned a bachelor of arts degree from Wesleyan University in 1980 and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1983. He is a member of the bar in Massachusetts, Illinois, California and New Jersey. He serves on the board of directors and the executive committee of the Association of Corporate Counsel; is a member of the leadership board of the U.S. Chamber Global Intellectual Property Council; and is on the general counsel committee of the American Bar Association.