By the Numbers: Five New Big Law Leaders Taking Charge in 2021

A slew of major law firms, including DLA Piper, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Littler Mendelson, are set to welcome new leaders at the start of the year.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage, chairs and managing partners taking the helms of firms face new challenges and uncertainty. Big Law firms appear to have mostly averted worst-case projections for revenue and demand drops, but the pandemic continues to pose a health care and economic crisis.

Firms will need to develop strategies for operating offices and maintaining a largely remote workforce, according to Peter Zeughauser, legal strategist and consultant.

“Financial forecasting for the year is going to be tricky,” he said.

Leaders will also have to consider the mental health of lawyers and staff.

“You’ve got the Zoom-related remote work integration issues, greater substance abuse issues, and many people’s growing belief that there will be a post-traumatic stress syndrome coming out of the pandemic,” Zeughauser said.

“It’s a particularly challenging year to be coming into a leadership role.”

Here are five firms with new leaders planning leadership changes.

DLA Piper

Frank Ryan will take over as U.S. chair of DLA Piper on Jan. 1. Ryan will serve a four-year term, succeeding Roger Meltzer and Cameron “Jay” Rains, who are wrapping up their second four-year terms as U.S. co-chairs.

Ryan, an intellectual property and technology partner, has been a member of the firm’s U.S. executive committee and global board. He has extensive experience in media and sports law, and his client list includes The Walt Disney Company, ABC, Nike Inc., and ESPN. He’s currently advising on matters related to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Haynes & Boone

Taylor Wilson, partner and co-chair of Haynes & Boone’s investment management practice group, will succeed Tim Powers as managing partner in January.

Wilson, who began his legal career at the firm, has served on its board of directors, executive committee, and as chair of the partner compensation committee.

The firm said in July it has an aggressive growth plan for the next five years, despite the Covid-19 pndemic. Haynes & Boone plans to expand from 50 lawyers in California and 85 lawyers in New York to 150 in each city. It also aims to grow offices in London and Washington.

Littler Mendelson

Erin Webber will become managing director and president of Littler Mendelson in January, replacing co-managing directors Tom Bender and Jeremy Roth, who served eight-year terms.

Webber has defended a wide range of companies in employment litigation, including The Home Depot Inc., Staples Inc., Sears Holdings Corp., and Hertz Corp. She also spent 10 years on the firm’s board of directors and has chaired the shareholder candidate committee since 2013. She plans to continue a growth strategy put in place by Bender and Roth, telling Bloomberg Law that she will be “bullish” on expansion.

Along with Littler Board Chair Kate Mrkonich Wilson, the firm now has women in its two top posts.

Norton Rose Fulbright

Shauna Clark will become the first woman of color to be global and U.S. chair at Norton Rose starting in January. The Houston-based labor and employment partner will succeed Andrew Robinson as global chair and George Scofield as U.S. chair.

Clark, who represents clients in industries including energy, healthcare, and banking, was the first woman and person of color to head the firm’s U.S. employment and labor practice and to lead its Houston office.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Bankruptcy attorney Matthew Feldman will become joint chairman of Willkie in January, replacing retiring chairman Steven Gartner. He will serve alongside Thomas Cerabino, who has been leading the firm with Gartner since 2010.

Feldman has been at Willkie since 1991, leaving briefly to serve as chief legal advisor to the Obama administration’s task force on the auto industry. As part of the Treasury Department, Feldman helped develop the overall strategy to restructure and recapitalize General Motors Co. and Chrysler.