Dickinson with her yellow Lab, Maggie. The PetSmart GC also owns a dachsund, a cat and a turtle.
business and ease in dealing with its retail
employees. “She clearly was not the typical
corporate lawyer,” says Farrington. “She had
the ability to relate to all levels of people.
She has a quick mind and was someone
who understood all aspects of the business.”
Dickinson was prepared when Hannaford
was acquired by the Brussels-based food
retailer Delhaize Group. Having helped
Hannaford with legal dealings in acquiring
Wilson’s Supermarkets as the company
pushed into the Southeast, and Victory Super
Markets in Massachusetts, Dickinson had
worked her way up to general counsel. She
finalized details for the $10 billion merger with
Delhaize and set up its M&A process abroad,
including in Belgium, Romania and Greece.
Farrington, who still sits on the company’s
board, says Dickinson’s experience on a wide
range of issues was key in her rise to more
responsibility. For example, she initially
spent about a week each month in Belgium
to manage the parent company’s corporate
legal department when she became vice
president of legal affairs for Delhaize in 2006.
SUPER LAW YERS / BUSINESS EDITION 2011
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