Two of The Andersons’ divisions manufacture fer-
tilizers, so chemicals and labeling are controlled.
The firm’s involvement in ethanol also is subject to
regulation. Local health authorities watch over retail
and food sales, and the company’s wine shops must
adhere to alcohol-related tax, trade and law enforce-
ment standards. The Andersons’ status as a public
as needed, primarily for litigation. Burchinow added,
however, that the company has “a fairly standard
load” of lawsuits, with litigation “not of a material
nature for the company.” External counsel are sought
for SEC responsibilities as well as for real estate con-
cerns. Burchinow “infrequently” hires transactional
lawyers. Firms used most often include Chicago-
Chicago. Prior to that stint, he was in private prac-
tice as a general corporate and business attorney
at Csaplar & Bok in Boston and Fine & Ambrogne
in Chicago. Burchinow graduated from Princeton
University in 1975 and Boston University School
of Law in 1978, where he was an editor of the law
review.
Diversification into ethanol has changed the GC’s
day-to-day agenda.
corporation, and its participation in commodities trading, derivatives and hedging, spur regulatory activity
by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
LEGAL TEAM AND OUTSIDE COUNSEL
Burchinow helms a staff consisting of a second
full-time attorney, a paralegal/office manager and
a workers’ compensation claims administrator. The
group receives support from a part-time lawyer and
a quartet of clerical personnel. Burchinow reports
directly to Michael J. Anderson, the firm’s president
and chief executive officer.
Two-thirds of the legal load is handled in-house,
with much of it generated by typical retailer issues
such as slip-and-fall incidents and workers’ com-
pensation. The Andersons hires outside counsel
based Kirkland & Ellis (for SEC matters), and Toledo
firms Spengler Nathanson and Marshall & Melhorn
(for local litigation). Counsel in Mexico and Canada
are also called upon because of The Andersons’
ownership of railcar assets held there.
ROUTE TO PRESENT POSITION
Beginning in 1991, Burchinow was with Deutsche
Financial Services Corp. (formerly ITT Commercial
Finance Corp.) of St. Louis, where he served as
operations counsel and general counsel for its predecessor companies. When General Electric Co.
bought the business, it installed its own GC, and
Burchinow moved on to The Andersons, becoming
general counsel in 2004. From 1987 to 1991, he
was a senior attorney with Continental Bank N.A. of
PERSONAL
Newark, N.J.-born Burchinow and his wife, Eileen
Conlon, are the parents of four daughters: Alexandra,
Emily, Stephanie, and Victoria. Reading, home repair
activities and accompanying his children to sporting
events fill up his spare time. After almost 20 years
of toiling in-house, his current job “is a very nice way
to round out my career.” It touches upon a variety of
businesses, is “fun” and represents the broadest
mix of his legal life. He is pleased that his practice
has expanded in scope, rather than narrowed, and,
in contrast to his early days in financial services, he
is thrilled to see actual groundbreaking and other
concrete results of his labors.
A BOOK AND MOVIE
Europe: A History, by Norman Davies, and King
Kong.
—ROGER ADLER
This profile appeared in The National Law Journal
on March 6, 2006.
