via
Getty)
We
have
some
incredibly
unfortunate
news
to
report
out
of
New
York,
where
the
former
chair
of
Am
Law
100
firm
Paul
Weiss
recently
passed
away.
Alfred
Youngwood,
87,
joined
the
firm
in
1964
following
a
clerkship
in
the
Southern
District
of
New
York.
While
at
Paul
Weiss,
he
rose
to
prominence
as
a
tax
attorney,
and
became
a
partner
in
1970.
Later,
in
1999,
Youngwood
became
the
firm’s
first
democratically
elected
chair.
After
serving
for
about
a
decade
as
chair,
he
retired
to
a
counsel
position
in
2009,
following
a
40-year
stint
at
the
firm.
The
American
Lawyer
noted
current
chair
Brad
Karp’s
poignant
words
about
Youngwood
in
a
firmwide
email:
Karp
said
that
Youngwood
was
a
“role
model
for
me
personally,
guiding
and
supporting
me
throughout
my
career
at
the
firm.”“In
my
May
2008
remarks
upon
being
elected
to
succeed
Alfred,
I
told
my
partners
that
I
was
following
in
the
footsteps
of
towering
giants
who
loved
our
firm
and
that
Alfred
Youngwood
was
at
the
top
of
that
list,”
Karp
added.…
Karp
also
lauded
Youngwood’s
tenure
as
chair
of
the
firm.
“Not
only
did
Paul,
Weiss
become
one
of
the
most
profitable
law
firms
in
the
country
during
Alfred’s
decade
as
chairman,
but
our
culture
and
dedication
to
pro
bono
work,
diversity,
and
associate
development
all
flourished
as
well,”
he
wrote.
Karp
went
on
to
refer
to
Youngwood
as
“one
of
our
nation’s
most
distinguished
tax
attorneys
and
business
advisors,”
praising
him
as
“brilliant,
endlessly
creative
and
a
dogged
problem-solver.”
We
here
at
Above
the
Law
would
like
to
extend
our
condolences
to
Alfred
Youngwood’s
family,
friends,
and
colleagues
during
this
difficult
time.
Alfred
Youngwood,
Former
Paul
Weiss
Chair,
Dies
at
87
[American
Lawyer]
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
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questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
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