GC Influencers
Most Influential GCs - USA
Ellen Steen of American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF)
Ellen Steen was appointed general counsel to the American Farm Bureau in mid-2010, beginning her in-house career after almost 15 years spent practicing at Crowell & Moring. In her current role, she is charged with overseeing the legal function at one of the most influential advocacy organizations within the United States, which sees her confront the dual challenge of handling both a broad spectrum of operational, governance and transactional matters as well as managing compliance issues arising through its extensive lobbying, political and legal advocacy efforts.
Her ability to overcome such obstacles earns her considerable respect in the legal community, with sources commending her “impressive blend of regulatory expertise and practical, problem-solving skills” and citing in particular her ability “bring many diverse industries to the table and advocate for positions in coalition” as a core strength.
Her recent work includes advising the organization on its dispute with the Environmental Protection Agency over its ‘Waters of the USA’ rule under the Clean Water Act, a long-running point of contention which featured a recent Supreme Court argument over jurisdictional issues.