James Hunter IV
The earlier students can get exposed to the principles and practice of creating their own businesses, the better prepared they will be when they get out in the real world to pursue opportunities of their own.
James Hunter, executive vice president and general counsel for Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation, oversees all legal matters for the company and its global brands, Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Grand Residences by Marriott. He also is a member of the company’s executive committee.
Mr. Hunter joined Marriott International’s law department in 1994 in Washington, D.C., where he led lodging development transactions for Marriott’s lodging brands worldwide, including a 5-year assignment to Hong Kong where he supported Marriott’s expansion in Asia‑Pacific. Through his various roles with Marriott, he led a wide variety of transactions, including real estate development, joint venture, lease, debt and equity financing, management, franchise, purchase and sale and other transactions, in over 50 countries. In 2006, he was appointed general counsel for Marriott Vacation Club International and relocated to Orlando. In 2011, he led legal support for the division’s spin-off from Marriott as a separate publicly traded company and assumed his current position upon completion of the spin-off.
Prior to joining Marriott, Mr. Hunter was law clerk to Judges Charles Brower and Richard Allison at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, and subsequently practiced law in Washington, D.C. He earned his Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and his Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School in New York.
Mr. Hunter is an active participant in the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and serves on ARDA’s ethics committee and general counsel council. He also is the sponsor of Marriott Vacations Worldwide’s Street Law Corporate Legal Diversity Pipeline program and serves on Washington, D.C.-based Street Law’s annual awards host committee.
