Southern Company announced a key addition to its executive leadership team, effective December 1.

Sterling A. Spainhour, Jr., has been named senior vice president and general counsel of Southern Company Services. Spainhour joins Southern Company from Jones Day, where he has served as partner at the international law firm's Atlanta office since 2004. There, he worked on several Southern Company projects, including the company's acquisition of Southern Company Gas, the acquisition of a 50 percent equity interest in the Southern Natural Gas pipeline system, and the acquisition of PowerSecure International.

Spainhour will lead the legal organization of Southern Company Services – the shared services company that supports Southern Company's operating company subsidiaries. He will be responsible for the day-to-day legal support of the administrative and operational clients at SCS and will work closely with the other general counsels across the system to help support the operating companies.

"Many of us at Southern Company have had the opportunity to work closely with Sterling, and know him to possess excellent legal skills, impeccable judgment and values consistent with our own," said Jim Kerr, Southern Company's executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer.  "Our company has expanded the breadth and complexity of its business in the past year with key acquisitions and partnerships that position us to be a global leader in the energy industry. Sterling will add expertise, experience and judgment to our legal team as we continue to help our clients grow the business and add value to our customers."

While at Jones Day, Spainhour served as administrative partner of the Atlanta office for a number of years, and his substantive expertise was as a mergers and acquisitions attorney to both public and private companies.  He has deep transactional experience in a variety of industries including energy, consumer products, chemicals and business services.  He also advised boards of directors on corporate governance and director liability matters.  

Spainhour previously served as counsel for CNN, where he was responsible for advising the cable news network's internet divisions on a full range of legal matters. He is also heavily involved in the community and currently is an advisory board member of the Trust for Public Land and previously served on the board of directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta and as co-President of Trinity School's Parent Association. Sterling is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the Duke University School of Law and Fuqua School of Business.