New Leadership At Cravath

New leadership at the Biglaw firm...

Apparently, there is news happening today that is not coming from the Supreme Court. No, I’m not talking about the impending contempt vote on Attorney General Eric Holder — which is going to look really partisan after what Roberts did today.

I’m talking about news from one of the most prestigious law firms in the country. Evan Chesler, presiding partner of Cravath Swaine & Moore is at the end of his term. Chesler will now be “Chairman” of Cravath, and the firm has elected a new presiding partner.

Who will lead Cravath as it establishes the “new normal,” post-recession?

Cravath put out a press release today announcing that C. Allen Parker will become Cravath’s 15th presiding partner at the end of the year. From the press release:

Mr. Parker joined Cravath in 1984 and became a Partner in 1990. Since becoming a Partner, he has served in several leadership positions at the Firm. Mr. Parker served as Head of the Corporate Department from January 2009 to September 2010 and as Managing Partner of the Corporate Department from January 2001 to December 2004. He was elected Deputy Presiding Partner in October 2006.

Mr. Parker has extensive experience in a broad range of finance, banking and related matters, including syndicated loan transactions, acquisition financings and leveraged recapitalizations, as well as experience in a broad range of corporate advisory matters. His clients have included JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Covenant House, DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks Studios, Kissinger Associates and Permira.

That’s the part of Parker’s outstanding résumé normal people care about. Let me list the part ATL readers care about:

Sponsored

B.A. = Duke
J.D. = Columbia
Clerkship = Amalya Kearse, Second Circuit.

And now he’s the leader of one of the best law firms in the country. Smell the prestige, my friends.

It’ll be interesting to see what direction Parker takes the firm. But I noticed one really nice line about him in the Cravath press release:

Mr. Parker is also a board member of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

A big-time Biglaw partner who is also a board member of one of the most compassionate organizations in the country? This could be interesting!

Sponsored

Cravath Elects C. Allen Parker as its Next Presiding Partner and Evan R. Chesler as Chairman [Cravath, Swaine & Moore]