Davis Wright Tremaine Names New Leader After Six-Month Search

Davis Wright Tremaine has elected litigator Jaime Drozd as the firm’s next managing partner.

The decision ends the firm’s six-month search for a new leader. Drozd, who had been vice chair of the firm’s executive committee, succeeds Scott MacCormack, who unexpectedly relinquished his post in March.

The Seattle-founded firm created an internal search committee to fill the position. Drozd was selected unanimously by the search committee and the firm’s executive committee, and confirmed with a partnership vote, the firm said in a statement. Pete Johnson, the head of the firm’s Seattle office, had filled the position on an interim basis, and will return to his technology transactions practice.

Drozd sat for more than 10 hours of interviews as part of the evaluation process, she said in an interview. She also submitted written materials and a video outlining her vision and goals for the firm. Her main focus will be on the firm’s people and its growth, she said.

“We are constantly looking to grow,” Drozd said. “That means in every sense of the word, including individual growth, embracing a persistent growth mindset, and not being complacent with where we are. And we are looking at investing in growth in key geographic areas.”

The firm will look to bolster its presence, she said, in California, on the East Coast. It’s also focusing on its home market, where the firm’s relationship with major technology companies such as Microsoft Corp. and Amazon has helped drive a national focus on that industry.

Drozd, who is based in Seattle, will transition her practice to others as the managing partner position is full-time.

Her practice has focused on defending companies against consumer class actions. She began her legal career at Goodwin Procter in Boston and spent a decade at the Seattle firm Ogden Murphy Wallace before joining Davis Wright Tremaine in 2014.

Davis Wright Tremaine is best known for its litigation work, especially among media and technology clients including Apple, Inc., Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc., and Netflix Inc. Davis Wright Tremaine employs some 600 lawyers in the US, and its revenue last year was around $564 million, placing it among the country’s 100 largest firms, according to The American Lawyer.

Seattle and the broader Pacific Northwest has in recent months been a buzzy market for Big Law firms.

Philadelphia-founded Ballard Spahr is tying up with Seattle’s Lane Powell on Jan. 1, creating a firm with more than 750 lawyers across 18 US offices. BCLP in April combined with Seattle trial firm Harrigan Leyh Farmer & Thomsen, tripling its office a year after it opened. Fennemore in January entered Seattle with a tie-up of 12-lawyer Savitt Bruce & Willey.

Drozd said the city’s “dynamic” business environment includes “exciting clients” that are a natural draw for out-of-town law firms.

“I can understand the appeal, I get it,” she said. “But I also know that we’re just incredibly well-positioned with the depth and strength we have here.”

Camilo Echavarria, chair of Davis Wright Tremaine’s executive committee, in a statement called Drozd “our ideal candidate.”

“She has incredible energy and innovative ideas combined with a vision and great clarity on how to achieve the ambitious goals of our strategic plan,” Echavarria said.

Drozd will be the first woman to serve as Davis Wright Tremaine’s managing partner. She founded the firm’s women’s affinity group and has served as president of the Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle.

“I’m thrilled to be able to demonstrate on a day-to-day basis to my kids and other lawyers who are junior to me that this is all possible to do,” said Drozd, a mother of three. “Truthfully, you can be both a parent and a successful lawyer and leader at your firm. You don’t have to choose one or the other.”