Biglaw

Biglaw Shake Up: Greenberg Traurig Co-President Hilarie Bass Is Leaving The Firm

She'll be launching the Bass Institute on Diversity and Inclusion.

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Hilarie Bass

Co-president of Biglaw firm Greenberg Traurig, Hilarie Bass, is leaving the firm that began her career over 35 years ago to start a non-profit, the Bass Institute on Diversity and Inclusion, focused on issues facing women and minorities in the workplace. Bass, who just ended her one year term as President of the American Bar Association, will be concluding her tenure at Greenberg Traurig at the end of this year.

As reported by Law.com, Bass is leaving a legacy at the firm she started at as a summer associate:

At Greenberg Traurig, Bass’ mentor was Mel Greenberg, one of the international law firm’s three co-founders. Over the course of her 37-year tenure, Bass served in a number of prestigious positions. Prior to being appointed as co-president in 2013, she spent eight years as the chair of the firm’s 600-member litigation department. She also founded the firm’s Women’s Initiative, aimed at empowering other women to excel in the legal field as she had. In total, she spent more than 20 years on Greenberg Traurig’s executive committee.

Despite the recent wave of prominent attorneys leaving Greenberg Traurig (earlier this summer three partners, including co-head of the restructuring and bankruptcy practice Nancy Mitchell, departed for O’Melveny & Meyers), Bass is leaving the firm on good terms — it probably doesn’t hurt that she’s leaving to start a non-profit, not going to a competitor:

“As one of the premier trial lawyers in the country, Hilarie has been a tremendous trailblazer and mentor throughout her career at Greenberg Traurig, while leading the largest practice group in the firm to great success,” Richard A. Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurig’s executive chair, wrote in a statement released Wednesday. “She will be greatly missed, as we are extremely proud of the work Hilarie has done, and will continue to do as she takes on issues of great importance to the profession and really to all organizations where women and minorities face unique challenges. We are sure we will continue to collaborate and support each other for years to come.”

Bass’s statement on her career change focuses on the passion she has about diversity and inclusion issues, saying, “Speaking out on these topics and talking granularly about what we need to do is critical to ensure we are not having this discussion 37 years from now.” She also expressed appreciation for the support she’s gotten from her soon-to-be-former firm:

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In the statement regarding her departure, Bass wrote, “As much as l love my clients, cases and colleagues, nothing is more important to me than this work. I will be forever grateful to the firm, and my friends and colleagues at Greenberg Traurig for the years of support and the many opportunities provided to me by them.”

Congratulations to Bass on her important new career path!

headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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