Dentons will be implementing a major reshuffle of its US leadership, effective 1 January 2017.
The shake-up which was unanimously approved by the megafirm’s US Board of Directors, will see three senior management team members in new roles.
Mike McNamara, current US Managing Partner, will become Dentons US Chief Executive Officer.
Jeff Haidet, current US Co-Chief Executive Officer, will become US Chair.
Peter Wolfson, who is also a US Co-Chief Executive Officer, will transition to being a Global Vice Chair. Wolfson will concurrently practice law and his management duties.
As part of the reshuffle, McNamara has also been named to the Dentons Global Board and Global Management Committee. Haidet and Wolfson will continue being members of the US and Global Boards of the firm.
“This US leadership transition is the next step in our long-term strategy to grow, integrate and innovate as we build the law firm of the future. Mike, Jeff and Peter each have played a critical role in our success to date and will continue to do so,” said Global Chief Executive Officer Elliott Portnoy.
“Over the years, Mike has proven himself to be a remarkable leader whose energy and passion have steadfastly driven our Firm in the US. Jeff has done an outstanding job expanding our cross-regional client service as Dentons' reach has expanded around the globe. We would not be the successful firm we are today without Peter’s steadfast leadership for more than five years. We congratulate them on this transition and look forward to their leadership in the years ahead,” he added.
McNamara, who joined the Firm in 2002, has served as US Managing Partner for five years, leading Dentons through multiple phases of development in the US, including the 2015 merger with McKenna Long.
McNamara is one of the founding Partners and past chair of the Firm’s Public Policy and Regulation practice, and he has held a number of senior leadership roles, including US Integration Partner for the 2010 combination between Sonnenschein and Denton Wilde Sapte that created SNR Denton, and chair of the global Government sector.
Prior to merging with Dentons, Haidet served with distinction for more than a decade as Chair of McKenna Long, which he joined in 1985. Haidet’s client practice focuses on domestic and international commercial transactions for a variety of corporate clients.
McNamara acts as chief outside legal counsel for several of the Firm’s clients and manages numerous internal investigations and special committee representations.
Wolfson joined the Firm in 2001 and has been centrally engaged in virtually all of the Firm’s growth initiatives for 15 years.
Wolfson has more than 30 years’ experience in representing high-profile debtors, creditor and bondholder committees, equity committees, plan sponsors, asset purchasers and other parties of interest in out-of-court restructurings and Chapter 11 cases.
