After a 15-year run as the head of the firm, Eric Friedman is stepping down from his role as Skadden’s executive partner. Friedman was just the third person to serve in this role in the firm’s venerable 75-year history.
During his time serving as Skadden’s leader, Friedman responsibly guided the approximately 1,700-lawyer firm through a recession, a pandemic, and a great deal of financial growth. As noted by the American Lawyer, when Friedman first assumed his leadership role in 2008, the firm’s revenue was just over $2 billion. Last year, the firm’s revenue was just over $3 billion.
Friedman will be passing the reins to corporate partner Jeremy London, a 25-year Skadden veteran who currently serves as chair of the firm’s client engagement committee, and previously served as a member of the firm’s partner compensation committee. “Jeremy is an outstanding lawyer, highly capable leader and trusted colleague who embodies our firm’s core values, including our commitment to superior client service,” Friedman shared of his successor in a statement. “The partnership has made an excellent choice in selecting Jeremy as our next executive partner, and I am certain that under his stewardship Skadden will continue to thrive as one of the world’s leading law firms.”
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London, who will assume the executive partner role next spring, had this to say of his future with the firm:
“Through his steadfast leadership, Eric Friedman has personified our values, enriched our culture and positioned us for ongoing success. I am honored to step into this role next April, and I look forward to working with Eric during the transition period, and with all of my partners to best serve our clients, support our colleagues and position them for success, and continue to attract the top talent in the legal industry.”
Congratulations to Eric Friedman on a job well done, and congratulations to Jeremy London on his ascent to the top of the firm.
Skadden Names New Executive Partner as Eric Friedman Steps Aside After 15 Years at the Helm [American Lawyer]
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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 or connect with her on LinkedIn.