Perkins Coie offices in Washington, D.C. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

Major law firms continue to make major investments in C-suite talent management, as they recognize that if you want to secure and grow strong and diverse talent, it helps to have a pro on your side.

Jennifer Bluestein, a former practicing lawyer who spent most of the last 11 years as the director of training and personal development at Greenberg Traurig, is now the chief talent officer at Perkins Coie. She will be working out of the firm's Chicago office.

“Jennifer has an impressive track record of leading initiatives that drive talent development, collaboration and engagement, which are critical elements of our firm culture,” John Devaney, Perkins Coie's firmwide managing partner said in a statement.

Jennifer Bluestein, with Perkins Coie.

“It's an incredible opportunity to join a firm like Perkins Coie that has such a highly valued and collaborative culture,” Bluestein said. “I look forward to working with everyone at the firm to promote a robust human resources offering and support the talent development and professional growth of lawyers and professional staff across the firm.”

Bluestein's mandate is significant, as according to a statement she will be responsible for associate, counsel and staff recruitment, development and training, performance management, employee relations, compliance, compensation and benefits. She said she will also be working with Perkins Coie chief diversity officer, Genhi Givings Bailey, on diversity issues.

While the proliferation of professional staffers taking on roles formerly handled by law firm partners—if handled at all—is a long-term trend, it has accelerated amid ever-greater competition in areas ranging from recruitment to lateral hiring to operations and technology.

Perkins Coie is the latest in a string of firms to add a chief talent officer role to their executive ranks. Winston & Strawn added their first CTO, Sue Manch, in 2017. That was the same year Dechert added Alison Bernard as the first person to hold that title at their firm. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton brought in Hy Pomerance at the same title in 2018.

Bluestein's predecessor, Darrin Emerick, was titled as chief personnel officer. The mandate varies slightly between Emerick's position and Bluestein's, as the CTO role is now more heavily focused on talent development, according to the firm.

Emerick was with Perkins Coie for 20 years prior to his retirement.

Bluestein, in addition to her time at Greenberg, also held a senior HR position at Baker McKenzie and was an associate at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg and later Seyfarth Shaw. She is also the author of “An Associate's First Year: A Guide to Thriving at a Law Firm,” which was published in 2018.

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