Jeff Raborn is Executive Vice President of Law and External Affairs and General Counsel of Reynolds American Inc.
Before assuming his current role in 2018, Raborn was Senior Vice President, Litigation and Regulatory, and Deputy General Counsel within the RAI Group. He has been part of the law leadership team since 2008, when he was named Vice President, Litigation, and Assistant General Counsel at RJRT, working with smoking and health litigation. He also previously served as the chairman of the Reynolds American Foundation.
Prior to joining Reynolds, Raborn practiced law in New Orleans and Baton Rouge and represented clients including Ford, Hyundai, Toyota, Kia, Black & Decker, Exxon, and Shell in product and premises liability cases. He also represented several companies including Exxon, Texaco, Shell, and Chevron before the Louisiana Public Service Commission. His trial career included important wins for his clients at both the trial and appellate levels. He credits much of his success in the corporate world to his experience as a trial lawyer – understanding your audience and knowing what moves them is vital, no matter the setting – whether a jury, a CEO, or a board of directors.
A native of Amite, La., Raborn earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a juris doctorate degree from Louisiana State University. He is active in the community serving as mentor and coach to hundreds of local youth as well as serving on the boards of a number of non-profit charitable organizations and, most recently, served as chairman of the Reynolds American Foundation. He is or has been a member of the American, Federal, and Louisiana Bar Associations, the Defense Research Institute, and The Conference Board.
