Stewart Leeth--Smithfield Foods

At Smithfield, we are constantly identifying new ways to enhance our environmental, health and safety performance and our sustainability programs. Not only are these core values for our company, but many of our employees personally embody this commitment in their work. 

One such employee is Stewart Leeth. As our  assistant vice president for environmental and corporate affairs and senior counsel, Stewart is helping to ensure that we continue  to advance as an industry leader as we seek to go above and beyond government regulatory requirements on our farms and at our plants, and he is also instrumental in the development and oversight of our sustainability program.  We are thrilled to announce that Stewart was selected by the Ethisphere Institute as one of its "Attorneys Who Matter" for 2011.

Attorneys named to this list "… represent the best and brightest in the legal field. The list consists of attorneys in all areas of practice …. The attorneys have all risen to the top from a combination of their expertise, peer or client endorsements and high-profile cases …. They are also the attorneys with the best public service, legal community engagement and academic involvement." Stewart was named to the institute's list of attorneys specializing in environmental matters.


Stewart reports directly to our chief sustainability officer and senior vice president for corporate affairs, Dennis Treacy. "We're very proud of the important work that Stewart has done on behalf of Smithfield Foods' sustainability efforts," Dennis commented. "Stewart exemplifies our employees' commitment to corporate social responsibility."


The Ethishpere Institute is a research-based international think-tank focused on business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. The institute has two associated membership groups that include more than 200 corporations, universities and institutions. Ethisphere Magazine, the institute's quarterly publication, compiles rankings such as the World's Most Ethical Companies, Most Influential People in Business Ethics and Attorneys Who Matter.


Stewart joined Smithfield Foods in 2008. Before joining the team, he was a Partner at the law firm of McGuireWoods. Stewart is also a former Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where he represented a variety of state agencies. A resident of Virginia, Stewart earned an undergraduate degree in International Studies from the University of Richmond, where he also graduated from the university's law school.