Am Law 100 Firm Names Younger Partner As Chair Elect To Lead Alongside Non-Lawyer CEO
The firm's new leader is about 20 years junior to the typical Biglaw chair -- and that's big news.
A slew of Biglaw firms are ushering in new leaders this year, but the latest firm to elect a new chair has done things a bit differently. What could be so unique about this new law firm leader, you may ask?
His age.
Husch Blackwell — a firm that brought in $555,836,000 gross revenue in 2022, putting it at No. 81 in the most recent Am Law 100 — has named Joe Glynias as its chair elect. The St. Louis-based labor and employment lawyer has all the credentials your typical Biglaw leader comes equipped with, but there’s one thing that makes him stand out among his peers.
Glynias, a Husch Blackwell lifer who joined the firm about 21 years ago, is just 46 years old. Compared to other Biglaw chairs and managing partners, that makes him quite young. Bloomberg Law has more:
The incoming chair is significantly younger than the average Big Law leader. The average age of top leaders who departed top roles at the largest firms last year and this year was 66, The American Lawyer reported in November.
Glynias plans to maintain his active labor and employment practice after he takes over the firm’s leadership on April 1, alongside Jamie Lawless, who is set to become the firm’s CEO on February 1. Lawless is not a lawyer, and she’ll soon become the only business professional to lead an Am Law 100 firm.
Glynias offered the following in a statement about his upcoming leadership transition at the firm:
“I am extremely excited about Jamie serving as our next Chief Executive and helping her chart our course forward. Our firm defines itself in many uncommon ways, including that a successful law firm does not have to be run by a lawyer—particularly when a non-lawyer business professional of Jamie’s caliber has shown herself to be such an inspiring and competent leader.”
“I believe my role, and that of the Executive Board, is to support her and create an environment where she can best succeed, and I can’t wait to see what we can all do together. Our firm is beyond fortunate to be working from a position of strength and success based on the extraordinary work and dedication shown by Catherine Hanaway during her time as our Chair, for which we are all extremely grateful.”
Congratulations to Joe Glynias on his ascent to leadership at Husch Blackwell, and congratulations to the firm on forging this new pathway to success with Jamie Lawless.
Husch Blackwell Names Glynias, 46, Firm Chair, Bucking Age Trend [Bloomberg Law]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at 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 tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.
