McKeon
(Photo
by
Marla
Aufmuth/Getty
Images
for
LeadOn:Watermark’s
Silicon
Valley
Conference
for
Women)
Biglaw
doesn’t
change
overnight
—
until
someone
comes
along
and
quietly,
persistently
forces
it
to.
That’s
exactly
what
Jami
McKeon
did
over
the
past
12
years
at
Morgan
Lewis
&
Bockius,
and
now,
as
she
prepares
to
hand
over
the
reins,
it’s
worth
taking
a
moment
to
appreciate
just
how
much
of
the
modern
law
firm
playbook
bears
her
fingerprints.
When
she
took
over
in
2014
as
the
firm’s
first
female
chair,
it
wasn’t
just
a
milestone
for
Morgan
Lewis,
it
was
a
signal
to
the
rest
of
Biglaw
that
the
“boys
club”
at
the
top
wasn’t
inevitable.
McKeon
didn’t
just
hold
the
job,
she
transformed
it.
She
led
the
firm
through
explosive
global
growth,
overseeing
thousands
of
lawyers
across
continents
while
steering
through
industry-shaping
moments,
from
major
lateral
integrations
to
the
pandemic
and
beyond.
Under
her
watch,
Morgan
Lewis
didn’t
just
get
bigger
—
it
got
smarter,
more
strategic,
and
more
intentional
about
culture,
technology,
and
what
leadership
actually
looks
like
in
a
modern
law
firm.
McKeon’s
successor,
David
McManus
—
who’s
been
working
at
the
firm
for
more
than
30
years
—
will
work
alongside
her
for
a
training
phase
of
sorts
before
he
officially
assumes
the
role
in
October
for
a
five-year
term.
McManus
has
had
several
leadership
positions
at
the
firm,
and
knows
that
he’ll
be
stepping
into
some
very
big
shoes
once
McKeon
steps
down,
saying
he’ll
work
hard
to
“carry
on
the
legacy
that
Jami
has
built.”
American
Lawyer
has
some
additional
details
from
his
statement:
“On
behalf
of
the
entire
partnership,
I
want
to
express
our
deep
gratitude
to
Jami
for
her
extraordinary
impact
on
Morgan
Lewis.
She
has
been
an
inspirational
and
passionate
leader
and
mentor,
guiding
our
firm
with
vision,
integrity
and
an
enduring
devotion
to
our
clients
and
our
people—while
shaping
a
culture
that
will
continue
to
propel
our
future
successes.”“I
have
seen
firsthand
how
that
momentum
has
evolved,
and
I
look
forward
to
partnering
closely
with
Jami
in
the
months
ahead
to
ensure
a
seamless
transition
and
build
on
the
foundation
she
set
forth—reinforcing
what
makes
us
distinctive
while
developing
in
ways
that
position
our
firm
for
the
future.”
McKeon,
who
announced
her
plans
to
retire
from
the
firm
in
late
2025,
said,
“It
has
been
a
true
privilege
to
serve
as
chair
of
Morgan
Lewis
and
to
work
alongside
such
talented
and
dedicated
colleagues
around
the
world.
I
am
incredibly
proud
of
all
that
we
have
accomplished
together.”
Jami
McKeon
opened
the
door
for
other
women
leaders
in
Biglaw,
and
that’s
a
legacy
that
extends
far
beyond
any
one
firm.
As
Morgan
Lewis
turns
the
page,
Biglaw
is
still
operating
in
the
world
Jami
McKeon
helped
create,
whether
it
fully
realizes
it
or
not.
Congratulations
to
David
McManus
on
his
upcoming
leadership
role
at
Morgan
Lewis,
and
a
very
fond
farewell
to
Jami
McKeon
as
she
calls
time
on
a
tenure
that
reshaped
Biglaw.
Morgan
Lewis
Names
New
Chair
as
McKeon
Closes
Out
12-Year
Tenure
[American
Lawyer]
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
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