James Graham

James Graham is Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary of the Company. He is responsible for ensuring coordinated legal services and counsel throughout the Company, and overseeing public company reporting requirements and administration of Cleveland-Cliffs’ code of business conduct and ethics compliance program. He also provides direct corporate secretarial support and legal advice to the Board of Directors and its Committees. Mr. Graham has executive responsibility for the Company's Risk and Insurance Management functions and Government and Community Affairs. Mr. Graham is the President of The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation.

Since joining Cleveland-Cliffs in 2007 as Assistant General Counsel, Mr. Graham has served in various senior management positions within the Company’s legal department. He was promoted to Vice President, General Counsel – Global Operations in 2012 and oversaw and directed legal services for the Company’s existing operations and its development projects. He has held the role of Chief Legal Officer of the Company since 2013 and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2014. Before his tenure with Cliffs, Mr. Graham worked as an associate with the law firm of Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP where he practiced corporate finance and international commercial law. Prior to joining Calfee, he was corporate counsel at Elsag Bailey Process Automation.

Mr. Graham earned his J.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University, his M.A. in French Literature from the University of Michigan, and his B.A. degree in English and French from Hiram College. He is a member of the Hiram College Board of Trustees, and was the recipient of the college’s Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. In 2015, Mr. Graham was admitted to the Society of Benchers at CWRU School of Law in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the profession of law and to the welfare of the Law School. Mr. Graham serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Foreign Graduate LL.M. Program, and on the Executive Committee for the Canada-United States Law Institute at CWRU School of Law. He is also the Vice President of the Greater Cleveland International Lawyers Group since 2008 and a Cabinet Member for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s capital campaign. He serves on several non-profit boards including the Playhouse Square Foundation, the American Red Cross – Greater Cleveland Chapter, and Verb Ballets. Mr. Graham is active in fundraising for numerous arts and cultural institutions in the Cleveland area.