City Electric Supply (CES) is proud to announce the promotion of Denton Muse from Associate General Counsel to General Counsel of CES North America. Muse has demonstrated outstanding leadership and expertise, steering the company through a period of significant growth. In his new role, he will oversee CES Legal Operations in North America, ensuring legal compliance and risk management across all sectors.
“This role comes with immense responsibility,” said Muse. “I’m confident that by focusing on incremental goals and supporting my team, we’ll achieve great things.”
As a top-10 electrical wholesale distributor expanding into new markets such as EV, infrastructure, and government projects, CES requires agile legal oversight. Muse will ensure the company remains proactive in addressing legal complexities while managing compliance across more than 30 states. With a capable team by his side, Muse is well-prepared for the challenges ahead.
“I am confident that Denton will continue to grow in his knowledge of large company legal operations and stay ahead of future risks,” said Global Chief Legal Officer Meg Shockley. “I have truly enjoyed watching him grow as a respected leader who encourages and looks out for the team while never sacrificing what’s best for CES.”
Muse has risen through the ranks at CES, advancing from Associate Counsel to Senior Counsel, then to Associate General Counsel, and now to General Counsel for North America. His tenure has included leasing work, commercial contract management, complex property transactions, and oversight of legal staff.
“Having worked with many capable leaders throughout my career, I can unequivocally say that I have never encountered one more deserving of this promotion to General Counsel,” said Corporate Counsel Dade Berry. “Denton possesses the rare ability to inspire trust and admiration in those he leads and influence those he does not. His leadership will empower the legal team to stay ahead of challenges and remain an essential part of the CES story.”
Over the past six years, the CES legal department has expanded significantly to meet the demands of the company’s rapid growth. Under Muse’s leadership, the department will continue to develop innovative solutions, strengthen its expertise, and provide effective and efficient legal support to the CES branch network and corporate supporting departments.
“With my upcoming retirement in April 2025, promoting Denton to General Counsel was a decision made in collaboration with CES leadership,” said Shockley. “Since his promotion, he has skillfully taken on the oversight of CES Legal Operations in North America, managing risks across commercial agreements, property transactions, HR, litigation, M&A, government compliance, IT agreements, intellectual property, finance, and privacy.”
The path to this milestone began for Muse over eight years ago, immediately after graduating from law school.
“In a tough job market, I had to market myself,” Muse shared. “I made it a point to grab coffee or lunch with anyone willing to meet, putting myself out there and making real connections.”
Working toward a career in real estate law, Muse’s first position was in corporate immigration law. However, his career took a pivotal turn when he had the opportunity to work for a commercial real estate firm. Though the role deviated from the legal field, he embraced the opportunity.
“I knew I wanted to practice real estate law and was once told, ‘The path you take is never going to be a straight line. Identifying the specific legal area in which you want to practice is the critical first step, then you’ll need to take incremental steps to get there.’ That advice stuck with me,” said Muse.
Nearly a year later, while working for a commercial real estate firm, a conversation with a CES property manager led him back to practicing law.
“He asked, ‘Are you done being a lawyer?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m taking it one opportunity at a time and focusing on gaining practical real estate experience.’ That’s when he mentioned CES was looking for in-house legal counsel,” said Muse.
Soon after, Muse met with the CES General Counsel, who recognized his potential and offered him the role.
“He told me, ‘We have an extensive portfolio of real estate that we buy, sell, and lease, and we need someone dedicated to the legal oversight of these transactions.’ That moment marked the beginning of my career at CES, and eight years later, I’m appointed to the role of General Counsel,” said Muse.
For those kickstarting their careers, Muse’s advice is to be proactive in networking, set incremental goals, embrace detours, and don’t allow uncertainty to be the obstacle to growth.
“It is sometimes difficult to apprehend the success of long-term objectives. My approach has always been to stay committed to achieving incremental, even daily, goals — understanding that through consistency, the realization of achieving the larger objective will naturally follow.”
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