Dewey & LeBoeuf shakes up management team in response to stream of departures

Dewey & LeBoeuf is changing its leadership strategy, with a plan to appoint London partner Stephen Horvath to a new role of executive partner. The plan proposes shifting firmwide chairman Steven Davis back to regular client work, and giving him a role as part of a new five-member oversight body - the 'Office of the Chairman' - alongside the practice leaders of the firm's four most profitable practice areas: restructuring chief Martin Bienenstock, corporate head Rich Shutran, litigation head Jeffrey Kessler and public policy and Washington DC head Charles Landgraf. The shake-up comes in response to the departure of 37 partners so far in 2012, with partners dissatisfied by cuts to compensation, and addresses a call from partners for "more direct hands-on management". If the planned overhaul is approved by the partnership, the new management team, in conjunction with Dewey's existing executive committee, will begin a restructuring the firm around its core areas of corporate, restructuring, litigation and public policy. Insurance will no longer form part of Dewey's core strategy after the firm’s team of 12 partners specializing in insurance transactional work left the firm to join Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Dewey & LeBoeuf shakes up management team in response to stream of departures legalweek.com Wed, Mar 28, 2012