KeyCorp announced that James L. Waters will be joining the bank as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary effective July 6, 2021. Waters will lead Key's Law Group and serve as the company's senior legal officer.

"James is a seasoned legal professional with significant experience, having served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. His experience and skill-set in the critical areas of law and banking, will be essential as we continue to grow our company," said Chris Gorman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of KeyCorp.

Waters brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate law with a focus on finance. Prior to joining Key, he served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.  Previously, Mr. Waters was a partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP where he spent eighteen years as a corporate lawyer representing banks and corporations.

Waters serves on the boards of the San Antonio Symphony and the Center for American and International Law, as well as the Board of Advisors for the Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics at the University of Texas Health Science Center.

Waters graduated from Harvard Law and Columbia University and has been admitted to the bar in both New York and Texas.