John L. Walker
Independent Chairman
B.A. in Economics (Duke), J.D. (Duke Law)

John L. Walker is a banking and corporate law Partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York (www.stblaw.com). He has an extensive background in banking law, particularly with respect to commercial, investment and merchant banking. He represents numerous global financial institutions.

Mr Walker graduated from Duke Law School in 1977. Early in his career he was an attorney at the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C.  He
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joined Simpson Thacher in 1979 and became a Partner in 1984. Mr Walker is a Director and the President of the Financial Services Volunteer Corps, a not-for-profit organization that channels expertise of financial sector professionals to assist in strengthening the financial infrastructure in transition and developing countries. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in the US.

Mr Walker has been ranked as one of the world's leading banking lawyers. He is included in the Euromoney Guide to the World's Leading Banking Lawyers (2003, 1999 and 1997), in the Chambers Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers (Banking & Finance 2005, 2003-2004), in the Chambers Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers (Banking & Finance 2005, 2003), in the IFLR Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms (2003), in which he was named a Leading Banking Lawyer and Simpson Thacher tied for the number one ranking in the United States, and in the International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (Banking 2005, 2003/4 and 2001).