Vincent A. Branton has been named General Counsel at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He replaces Karen Hoewing, who retired earlier this month.

Branton joined PNNL in 2003 as manager of PNNL's Intellectual Property Legal Services department, and has served as manager of PNNL's Legal department since 2008. In his new role as General Counsel, Branton will oversee both departments.

The Office of the General Counsel provides legal services including negotiations involving the PNNL operating contract, drafting and negotiating legal agreements necessary to conduct business at PNNL, employee and labor relations, environmental safety and health regulatory compliance, human subjects research, protection of intellectual property rights, litigation, client counseling, and retention and management of outside counsel. In his role as General Counsel, Branton also provides support to Battelle's Pacific Northwest Division Board of Directors.

Prior to moving to Richland, Branton worked as an engineer with Honeywell, Inc. in Clearwater, Florida, and with Lockheed Martin Energy Services, Inc. in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. After earning his juris doctorate, he served as in-house counsel for Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation and UT-Battelle, LLC, the operating contractor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Branton earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and a juris doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he was also elected to serve as editor-in-chief of the Stetson Law Review. He is a registered patent attorney and is licensed to practice law in several states.

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