Regina Bynote Jones ’98 is senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary for Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a global agriculture and nutrition company. “We sustain and secure the world’s food supply,” she said. Her responsibilities include overseeing the organization’s legal and regulatory affairs, compliance, security operations, and government relations efforts.
Throughout a law career spanning three decades, Jones has held domestic and international roles with responsibility for diverse, complex legal environments in major energy companies. Her assignments have been based across the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
Jones, a second-career lawyer who holds a BBA with a concentration in computer science from Sam Houston State University, was an information technology manager at Shell and El Paso Energy while attending South Texas College of Law Houston. Initially thinking she would become a prosecutor and someday, perhaps, a Supreme Court Justice, Jones discovered her true purpose while at South Texas Law. “I saw that I could become a valued business leader focused on supporting business goals with legal implications,” she said.
Prior to joining ADM, Jones’s employers included Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, and Delek. While at Schlumberger for 13 years, she gained important international experience working in Paris, France, for five years, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for three years. Her time overseas, along with her responsibilities at Baker Hughes — where she led teams based in multiple foreign countries — helped prepare her for the challenges that arise in her current position.
Transitioning from the energy industry to the agriculture sector was not a big leap for Jones. “Agriculture and energy are aligned in many ways, and share interests, like biofuels, ethanol, carbon capture through sequestration units, and more,” she said. “Sustainability is a huge concern in both areas. Food security is connected to energy security.”
Despite being a trusted business leader, creating solutions when there is no road map for navigating the terrain of today’s issues is challenging, Jones said. “For example, how does a company exit a foreign country where there is political change? How do you keep functioning during a pandemic? The biggest challenge for any company is risk, and it is the general counsel’s job to help mitigate risk and to advise all the stakeholders in good decision-making – even when there is no precedent to follow.”
Jones uses a sports analogy to describe her work at ADM. “I coach a team of talented lawyers who have tremendous skills in various disciplines, like securities and intellectual property. Whether they are in-house, or outside counsel, their expertise allows me to focus on analyzing scenarios and providing predictive legal advice. I can also have tough conversations when warranted.”
“General counsels provide compliant solutions for business problems,” Jones said. “A professor once told me, ‘Good lawyers make complex issues simple,’ and I see that as the way to present a solution. Strategic thinking, and the knowledge of law and rules, allows me to drive a culture of compliance. My goal is to create a culture of compliance, and to live it every day.”
Jones’ adaptability, perseverance, and grit have long been a part of her make-up. While working full time as an IT professional, and attending night classes at South Texas Law, Jones was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor requiring surgery. “It impacted my grades, but I finished well. That experience taught me that you keep on working, despite the challenges. You do not allow life to defeat you.”
Her professional accomplishments have earned Jones awards from various organizations. Most recently she received the John G.L. Cabot Award from the New England Legal Foundation, in recognition of her steadfast commitment to the rule of law, free enterprise, and inclusive economic growth, and the 2023 Magna Stella Award from the Texas General Counsel Forum, for in-house leadership and excellence.
Community service and family are important to Jones. She recently served on the board of directors at South Texas Law Houston and has been a board member of the Houston March of Dimes, the board for the Girl Scouts (Houston) and Child Advocates. Married for more than 25 years to her best friend, Kevin Jones, she is the proud mother of their two adult sons.
