Christopher L. Howard
EVP, General Counsel & Secretary
Chris Howard is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Acadia where he oversees a team of attorneys responsible for all aspects of Acadia’s legal affairs and acts as a strategic advisor to Acadia’s executive team and the Board of Directors. Mr. Howard has served in this role since joining Acadia in 2011. Mr. Howard’s areas of responsibility include securities law, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, litigation, labor and employment, legal compliance and regulatory matters.
Prior to joining Acadia, Mr. Howard served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. (PSI), a publicly traded behavioral health care company with approximately 100 facilities across the U.S. and over 20,000 employees. In his prior role, Mr. Howard oversaw PSI’s legal affairs including securities law, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions and litigation.
Prior to joining PSI in 2005, Mr. Howard was a partner with the law firm of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP. At Waller, Mr. Howard advised clients on mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, public company disclosure and periodic reporting requirements, and corporate governance.
Mr. Howard earned a bachelor’s degree with highest honors from the University of Tennessee and has a J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School where he served as Managing Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. Mr. Howard currently serves on the Board of Advisors at Vanderbilt Law School.
