TheCorporateCounsel.net

I wanted to take a moment this week to acknowledge that this month marks four years since my dear friend Marty Dunn passed away. Members will no doubt recall Marty’s many contributions to our publications and programming, as well as his almost twenty years of distinguished service at the SEC. Marty and I had an absolute blast bringing you all of the latest developments in the world of securities law and corporate governance, and I feel that his legacy is most certainly an enduring one.

I am writing to you from the beach this week, and my location prompted a recollection of how much Marty enjoyed his annual summer trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina with his family and friends. As long as I knew Marty, he would carve out a couple of weeks in the summer for a beach vacation that was, by all accounts, filled with lots of fun, music and love. I always admired how Marty prioritized this time with his family and friends, really trying to unplug from the demands of work so he could focus on having a memorable vacation. I can distinctly recall being at the SEC and engaging in extensive discussions about whether we should bother Marty at the beach because some crisis had emerged back in Washington, and most often the conclusion was to try to deal with the situation ourselves and let Marty enjoy his vacation. To me, that was a mark of what an inspiring leader he was, because he trusted us to deal with things while he was out of the office, and we admired him so much that we ourselves prioritized his vacation time with family and friends.

In more recent years, Marty had acquired his own place in the Outer Banks and treasured any time that he could get away and enjoy it, including those same two weeks in the middle of the summer. It makes me sad to think about how much he looked forward to spending more time there in the later stages of his career, because it was truly his “happy place.” His memory certainly encourages me try to enjoy my time at the beach, which I am obviously not very good at, as evidenced by the fact that I have been writing blog entries all week about current reporting of material cybersecurity incidents under Item 1.05 of Form 8-K.

If, like me, you sometimes want to remember Marty and take in some of his entertaining words of wisdom, I encourage you to check out these tribute podcasts:

– The Dave & Marty Show – The Fond Farewell Episodes, Part 1
– The Dave & Marty Show – The Fond Farewell Episodes, Part 2
– The Dave & Marty Show – The Fond Farewell Episodes, Part 3
– Deep Dive with Dave – A Tribute to Marty Dunn

Most importantly, if you are having a drink by the pool or at the beach this summer, please pour one out for Marty!

– Dave Lynn