Helen Hart’s engineering background shapes Norfolk Southern legal leadership

Helen M. Hart, senior deputy general counsel at Norfolk Southern, is being highlighted for a legal career built on engineering training, enterprise risk work, and leadership on major transactions. Her profile also points to mentorship, pro bono service, and environmental stewardship as core parts of her approach.

Why it matters: - Helen M. Hart shows how technical training can strengthen legal leadership in complex industries like freight rail. - Her work at Norfolk Southern touches regulatory compliance, risk management, safety, environmental issues, and major commercial deals. - Her career also reflects a growing emphasis on mentorship, professional advocacy, and service alongside executive responsibility.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Hart, a senior legal executive at Norfolk Southern Corporation, on October 6, 2026. - Hart serves as Senior Deputy General Counsel and has spent nearly two decades at Norfolk Southern. - Her role includes shaping legal strategy, managing enterprise risk, and leading complex commercial transactions.

The details: - Hart has more than 26 years of experience in regulatory, transactional, and corporate matters. - Her practice areas include commercial contracts, transportation, energy, environmental and safety law, real estate, litigation, and risk management. - Hart started her career as an engineer before moving into law. - She earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester. - She worked in engineering roles before and while completing the evening Juris Doctor program at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School. - Before joining Norfolk Southern, Hart also worked at a law firm. - At Norfolk Southern, she led legal work on two simultaneous transactions worth more than $400 million. - One of those deals became the largest line sale in the company’s history. - In a prior operations role as Assistant Vice President Safety & Environmental, Hart led a large team and oversaw enterprise-wide safety and environmental programs. - Hart is barred in Georgia, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. - She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and Norfolk Southern’s Employee Resource Group Advisory Council. - Her recognition includes multiple years on Virginia Legal Elite, with 2018 noted as a standout year. - Hart also continues professional development through programs including Disrupting Yourself and Business Analytics: From Data to Insights.

Between the lines: - Hart’s engineering background gives her a bridge between technical operations and legal strategy in a highly regulated business. - Her path from a rural, blue-collar upbringing to senior leadership underscores the value of persistence and self-advocacy in advancement. - Her comments on mentorship suggest that career growth still depends on personal initiative, not just external support. - Her focus on organizational change signals that Norfolk Southern’s leadership transitions and proposed merger are shaping how senior leaders think about talent and adaptation. - Her community work shows a leadership style that extends beyond the corporation and into public service.

What's next: - Hart is the incoming chair of the Georgia Advisory Board of Trust for Public Land. - She will support work tied to parks, green spaces, and climate-resilient community projects. - She will continue organizing quarterly Veterans Law Project pro bono clinics with a law firm and Atlanta Legal Aid. - Hart is also positioned to keep guiding Norfolk Southern through change, including employee transition and capability-building efforts. - Her Influential Women profile provides more background on her career and perspective.

The bottom line: - Hart’s profile centers on a rare mix of engineering fluency, legal judgment, and operational leadership that has shaped her career at Norfolk Southern.