By the Numbers: 11 Big Law Firms Welcome New Leaders in 2024

Nearly a dozen major law firms will welcome new leaders in 2024, with several positions that still need to be filled in the coming year.

Several of these leaders are stepping into roles held by leaders for decades and doing so at an interesting time.

Transactional work, which supercharged profits just two years ago, still remains muted yet competition among top firms is as fierce as ever as the gap widens between the nation’s most profitable firms and others. Challenges lie ahead for those about to assume their firms’ top roles from return to office mandates and increasing compensation for lawyers to the impact of AI on the profession. Still, there’s plenty of reasons to be optimistic as the top firms have weathered 2023 through investment and, in some cases, expansion.

Cahill Gordon & Reindel: Herbert Washer

For the first time in 18 years, Cahill will have a new leader as its litigation chair Herbert Washer steps into the role in January 2024, replacing its longtime leader, Bill Hartnett.

Washer joined Cahill in 2012 from Shearman & Sterling. Over his decades-long career, Washer represented top financial clients such as Credit Suisse and Merrill Lynch in litigation matters. He was co-chair of Cahill’s executive committee alongside Hartnett, but in 2024 he will be the firm’s sole chair.

Cahill, a New York-founded firm that specializes in capital markets, banking and finance, has seen several partner departures over the last year, but it’s also added several partners as it looks to expand its reach.

“I expect 2024 to be a year of real opportunity for the firm,” Washer said in an email to Bloomberg Law.

“I’m optimistic that we will be able to expand our footprint with existing clients and build out some transactional and litigation practices that have the potential to be key drivers of future growth,” he said.

Cooley: Rachel Proffitt

Proffitt, the head of Cooley’s San Francisco corporate practice, will take over as the firm’s next chief executive officer on Jan. 1, becoming its first-ever female CEO. She takes over from Joe Conroy who has led the firm since 2008, who will step into the role as firm chairman. Cooley, like many of its Silicon Valley peers, advises startups and emerging companies in the technology space, which have taken a hit by the slowdown in venture capital and IPO markets over the last year.

Rachel Proffitt and Joe Conroy of Cooley

Fried Frank: Kenneth Rosh

Rosh will become Fried Frank’s new chair, succeeding David Greenwald who has led the New York-founded firm since 2014. Rosh will officially take over on March 1.

Rosh first joined Fried Frank in 1988 and over the years some of his key clients have included Apollo, Bain Capital, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs, KKR, Morgan Stanley, Sixth Street and Tapestry. He helped launch the firm’s private equity funds practice.

“I’ve spent my entire career at this firm—starting as a summer associate—and I’m thrilled to help lead the firm as we move into a new era,” Rosh said.

Rosh steps into the role alongside a new leadership team that includes Steven Epstein, co-head of Fried Frank’s M&A practice, who will become the firm’s managing partner while Scott Luftglass, co-head of the securities and shareholder litigation practice, will be vice chair.

The trio will be focused on “growth across all of our key metrics: revenue, profitability and geographical reach,” Rosh said.

Holland & Knight: Robert Grammig

Holland & Knight’s managing partner Steven Sonberg will be stepping down after 16 years at the helm of the fast-growing firm in the first quarter of 2024. Sonberg will be replaced by a trio of partners—Robert Grammig, co-leader of the firm’s corporate, M&A and securities practice group, will become the firm’s chair and CEO. Partners David Whitestone serve as managing partner and Tiffani Lee will serve as deputy managing partner.

Skadden: Jeremy London

London, a Washington-based M&A partner, will take over as Skadden’s new chair in April. He replaces Eric Friedman, who has led the firm for 15 years. London is currently the chair of the firm’s client engagement committee and previously served on the firm’s partner compensation committee.

Thompson Coburn: Chris Hohn

Thompson Coburn has named litigation department leader Chris Hohn as head of the St. Louis-founded firm, which looks to continue growth beyond its Midwest roots. Hohn, a management and executive committee member, succeeds Roman Wuller, who took the top spot in 2020. Hohn will take the reins in August 2024.

WilmerHale: Anjan Sahni

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr will have new leadership for the first time in nearly 20 years as Anjan Sahni is set to become the firm’s first sole managing partner in the beginning of 2024. Sahni, a New York-based white collar defense partner, takes over from co-managing partners Robert Novick and Susan Murley, who have led the firm since 2012.

Anjan Sanhi

Photo: WilmerHale

Winston & Strawn: Steve D’Amore

Chicago-based Steve D’Amore, longtime co-chair of the firm’s litigation department and executive committee member, will become Winston & Strawn’s new chair in June, succeeding Tom Fitzgerald, who has held the role for more than 17 years. D’Amore, who first joined the firm nearly 30 years ago, focuses on trials and disputes in state and federal courts and, over the years, he has represented the likes of Abbott Laboratories Inc., Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., Duff & Phelps LLC and Cargill Inc.

To Be Determined

Proskauer Rose

Earlier this month, Proskauer Rose chair Steven Ellis said that he would be stepping down in April 2024 because of a health-related issue.

“This is not a decision that I have taken lightly and, while I will be fine, I will be turning my attention to my health,” he said in a Dec. 6 memo viewed by Bloomberg Law. “Doing so will not allow me to devote the time and energy that the role of chair requires and deserves.”

Ellis took over the role of chair in 2020. Proskauer will hold elections for Ellis’ successor in January who will take over in April.

A&O Shearman

The soon-to-be created global law firm A&O Shearman willing be voting on who will take over as leaders of the global law firm that will have roughly 3,900 lawyers when it finally completes its merger in May 2024.

Interim managing partner Khalid Garousha is one of three partners in the running for the senior partner position, along with global banking co-head Philip Bowden and chair of the global projects, energy, natural resources and infrastructure board David Lee. Five partners are in the running to take up the managing partner role – Hervé Ekué, Angela Clist, Vicki Liu, David Lucking and Dirk Meeus.

The voting for senior partner and managing partner will take place in February with the results being announced on March 1.

Dentons

Dentons’ Global CEO Elliott Portnoy announced this month that he would be stepping down as leader of the global law firm next November. Portnoy, one of the architects of Dentons that has more than 12,000 employees across the globe, has spent more than a decade in the role.

Over the next year, Portnoy will work with the firm’s governing global governing bodies to help identify his successor. The firm is looking at both internal and external candidates with the help of an external search firm, the firm said.