Valerie F. Lyons, chief marketing officer of Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby.

As some firms across the industry look to reduce costs and pause hiring, Philadelphia-based midsize firm Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby is growing its executive leadership team with two additions on the business side.

Valerie Lyons and Neil Pollack were hired as the firm's new chief marketing officer and chief financial officer, respectively, and both will be based in Philadelphia, the firm announced Wednesday. Pollack has been in his new role since March 16, while Lyons began April 13.

As chief financial officer, Pollack will lead financial performance assessments, manage the firm's budget and forecasting process, lead the finance and accounting teams and drive firm strategies. Prior to the move, he was a divisional chief financial officer of chemical company BASF's mobile emissions catalyst. He has more than two decades of financial experience in the chemical and manufacturing sectors.

"I was looking for opportunities to be the chief financial officer for a standalone business, and Weber Gallagher presented great opportunity to help execute strategies and take the firm forward," Pollack said in an interview.

Pollack said his focus now is getting to know the business and the firm's clients and understanding metrics that drive profitability.

"I'm learning how best to optimize firm performance, and familiarizing myself with the processes that exist so far, and then assessing how I can bring the knowledge with me to take us to the next level," he said.

"The addition of Neil to the executive leadership team will be instrumental for our next stage of growth," Geralyn Brown, Weber Gallagher's chief operating officer, said in a statement. "We have grown exponentially in the past several years, and Neil's financial leadership experience will greatly help us continue to drive and manage this growth."

As chief marketing officer, Lyons will drive the firm's strategy for marketing and communicating Weber Gallagher's values to clients, the firm said. Most recently, she was the business development and marketing manager for the corporate transactional practice at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.

"This was a great opportunity to join a firm that has been working to streamline their business and focus on growth and expansion," Lyons said in an interview.

The business-side hires at Weber Gallagher come as many law firms tighten their belts due to the coronavirus pandemic. A number of firms, from the legal midmarket up into the highest echelon of Big Law, have furloughed staff, laid off associates and reduced partner pay in recent weeks.

For Pollock and Lyons, their new roles are an opportunity to provide value to a law firm navigating immediate risks while planning for future growth, they said.

"In any situation, you have to balance short-term requirements with long-term success, so in that way, the current situation is not that different," Pollock said. "The firm has set itself up well and has structured itself to deal with circumstances like this one. There are operational challenges—which we're learning to deal with across the [legal] industry—but it's been going well so far, and when things return to normal, we can continue on with our strategic plans."

Lyons said her marketing focus has been on shoring up the firm's internal communications in addition to keeping clients in the loop.

"We want our staff to feel comfortable and transparent with the firm, so we're being proactive and having lots of conversations," she said. "In addition, we're in communication with our clients to keep them aware of constant changes in the law, letting them know that we're here, we're still working and we're still fully functional."

Outside of immediate, coronavirus-related needs, Lyons said Weber Gallagher's marketing goals focus on increased recognition: "In the long term, the focus shifts quite a bit. Brand awareness is top priority, and I want to make sure we are seen in the marketplace."

Andrew Indeck, Weber Gallagher's chair, said in a statement: "The addition of Neil's qualifications and experiences plus Valerie's outstanding skill set and understanding of the changing legal industry will help advance the firm's commitment to exceptional service to our client and attract leading talent."

Read More

Weber Gallagher Adds 3 From Post & Schell in Pittsburgh

Midmarket Work Fuels Midsize Lateral Moves in Pa.