Making the way for the firm's first woman chair, partners at Husch Blackwell selected St. Louis partner Catherine Hanaway to succeed chairman Greg Smith next year.

Hanaway, who joined the firm 2013, helped form and then lead its government solutions group. She will become chair April 1, 2021.

Before joining Husch Blackwell, Hanaway practiced at The Ashcroft Law Firm in Missouri, a small firm founded by a former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. Her litigation practice is focused on criminal and civil investigations and regulatory enforcement actions, and she handles complex commercial lawsuits.

And before going into private practice she served as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. She also previously served in Missouri's House of Representatives, and she was the first woman in the state to be elected speaker of the House.

Hanaway also ran for governor of Missouri in 2016, as a Republican, but she lost in the primary.

Smith, who will return to his real estate practice once he steps down as chair, said in a press release that Hanaway has a proven track record in leading large, complex organizations.

"She is excellent at articulating goals and then executing on them, and I am confident that I am leaving this key position in very capable hands," he wrote.

Hanaway said in the release that she will continue to build on Smith's work, such as "a dedication to putting our clients first, to gaining expertise in our industries of focus, and to maintaining a culture of collaboration, inclusion and professional excellence."