Mary U. Jones

Special Counsel

Mary Ulmer Jones is a seasoned labor and employment lawyer who advises employers on complex workforce issues, compliance, and risk management. For more than three decades at Bank of America, she served as Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel supporting a global HR organization for 180,000+ employees. Mary is known for practical, business-forward solutions that reduce risk and cost while enabling inclusive, high-performing workplaces.

PRIOR EXPERIENCE & REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • Global HR Counsel: Led day-to-day counseling across federal, state, and municipal employment laws; guided enterprise strategies on hiring, compensation, performance management, investigations, accommodations, and terminations.

  • Regulatory & Litigation Risk: Recognized subject-matter expert on regulatory exposure and reputational risk; developed policies and playbooks that lowered dispute frequency and improved resolution outcomes.

  • Operational Effectiveness: Partnered with senior business leaders to design initiatives that controlled expense, protected revenue, and advanced measurable workforce outcomes.

  • Team Leadership: Managed a multidisciplinary team of lawyers, paralegals, and business operations professionals; built cross-functional alignment with HR, Compliance, and business units.

  • Enterprise Initiatives: Provided enterprise-level guidance on pro bono programs, Opportunity and Inclusion strategy, disability advocacy, and domestic-violence response and resources.

CREDENTIALS

Education.

  • J.D., University of Kentucky College of Law — Staff Member, Kentucky Law Journal

  • B.A. with Distinction, Political Science, University of Kentucky

RECOGNITION

  • Inductee, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels

  • Bank of America Global Diversity & Inclusion Award

  • Georgia Leadership Conference Multicultural Leadership Award

  • National Diversity Council — Top 50 General Counsels

  • Selected honoree, Bank of America Power of 10 (P10) 10th Anniversary Leadership Recognition

COMMUNITY & LEADERSHIP

  • Boards & Advisory Roles: University of Kentucky Political Science Department Alumni Board; invited member, Year Up Financial Services Advisory Board; former board member, Theatrical Outfit (Atlanta), Pebble Tossers, and Year Up Atlanta.

  • Advocacy: Longstanding work in domestic-violence prevention, disability empowerment, and opportunity and inclusion.