James R. Wells to Join ARI as General Counsel

The seasoned corporate lawyer will oversee and direct legal affairs for the global company.

ARI announced that James R. Wells, Esquire has joined the company as General Counsel. He will be responsible for managing the legal affairs of the company and for providing guidance and strategic counsel to the senior management team on general business matters.

“We could not be more pleased to have Jim on board,” said ARI’s President Carl A. Ortell. “Jim’s broad expertise in corporate and transactional matters is a tremendous addition to our leadership team, and I am certain his perspective and guidance will prove invaluable going forward.”

In his new role, Wells will oversee and manage legal affairs for ARI across the globe and provide support in a range of areas including regulatory and compliance, mergers and acquisitions, international law, intellectual property, employment matters, governance, litigation management and risk evaluation. His responsibilities will include negotiating and drafting complex transactional agreements; supporting the creation, implementation and maintenance of corporate legal compliance programs; identifying and mitigating risk across all of the company’s business units; serving as the primary liaison for all external legal relationships; and providing perspective and guidance with regard to implementing the strategic goals of the company.

Wells joins ARI from Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC), a public company operating in the defense, aerospace and medical sectors, where he was Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to ETC, Wells worked at ARAMARK for more than 20 years, starting initially as an assistant general counsel and serving in a variety of roles, eventually going on to serve as Vice President and Associate General Counsel, serving as general counsel to ARAMARK’s largest business group, and to ARAMARK’s global supply chain function. He has also previously worked as an associate with the law firm of Pepper Hamilton LLP and as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Andrew G. T. Moore, II of the Delaware Supreme Court. He holds a J.D. from Villanova Law School and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.