In 1971, when Arthur “Scott” Porter Jr. was 14, his parents joined the Peace Corps and moved the family from Massachusetts to Malaysia.
Porter spent two years there with his parents and three siblings. He attended Sultan Abdul Hamid College, one of the country’s oldest schools, and soaked up Malaysia’s culture, history and traditions.
More than five decades later, that experience has come full circle.
Porter, managing partner of the Englewood Cliffs law firm Porter Thomas Grabell & Baumwoll, has been appointed to the board of directors and named general counsel of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation. The nonprofit is leading the development of Peace Corps Park in Washington, D.C.
Porter said the years abroad shaped everything that followed.
“My time in Malaysia had a profound impact on who I became and the values that have guided both my personal life and professional career,” he said. “Serving on the Foundation’s board brings that journey full circle.”
Porter was part of a Peace Corps family rather than a volunteer himself. But the experience stuck. After college, he served as a VISTA volunteer before going to law school.
Porter, who earned his bachelor’s degree from Bard, earned his law degree and a master’s in public administration from Syracuse University.
At PTGB, he has established himself as a top attorney whose practice focuses on civil litigation, including commercial, construction and employment disputes, as well as family law, real estate and corporate transactions and estate matters.
And while Porter represents businesses, developers, contractors, condominium associations and high-net-worth individuals, he said he’s never forgotten about the experiences he had early in life.
That’s why he was drawn to Peace Corps Park, a congressionally authorized commemorative work being developed with the National Park Service.
The park, planned for a triangular site near the U.S. Capitol, the National Mall and Union Station, will honor the Peace Corps’ founding in 1961 and the ideals behind its service: volunteerism, compassion, peace and global partnership.
“Peace Corps Park will provide a permanent place in our nation’s capital to recognize the role that service, peace and international understanding play in the American story,” Porter said. “I am honored to help advance this important project.”
Giving back defines Porter.
He is a former chairman of the Meadowlands Chamber. He also has served as general counsel to the Urban League of Bergen County, as a board member of the Tenafly Business Improvement District and on the Board of Governors of Bard College.
