Ira J. Coleman of McDermott Will & Emery. Courtesy photo'That's How You Get the Alignment:' A Conversation With Am Law Managing Partner of the Year Ira Coleman
"We want to listen more than we talk," says Coleman, of McDermott Will & Emery. "Everybody says the same thing, 'Our most important assets are our people,' right? Great. What are you doing about it?"
December 13, 2024 at 04:40 PM
5 minute read
Sitting at a conference table with a foggy New York City backdrop and wearing a cozy sweater, Ira Coleman, leader of McDermott, Will & Emery, doesn't look like the average buttoned-up, white-shoe attorney. Based on the firm's performance since Coleman took up the chairman position in 2017, however, a suit isn't a requirement for success.
Outfitted in sweaters, T-shirts, jeans—and, yes, the occasional suit—Coleman has shepherded in a period of intense growth for the firm, adding 400 attorneys to total headcount and driving $1 billion in revenue growth over the past seven years. And since 2020, the firm's profits have grown by 16% to over $759 million, and its profits per equity partner, by 17%, breaching $3.7 million in 2023. The firm, ranked No. 23 in the latest Am Law 100, has also turned its systematic approach to client listening into greater business generation for partners, hired actively, and made a significant increase in pro bono engagement.
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