Steptoe & Johnson has asked Brigida Benitez to serve as the firm's general counsel, replacing Gwendolyn Prothro Renigar, who held the role for several years before becoming the firm's chair Jan. 1.

The role of law firm in-house general counsel has become increasingly important over the past few years, as law firms increase in size, their work and clients become more complex and intertwined, and their markets become more interconnected, said Benitez.