Recently, Husch Blackwell appointed St. Louis-based labor and employment partner Joe Glynias as the firm’s chair elect. Glynias, at 46, represents a distinct departure from the more common trend in significant law firms to appoint leaders of an older age, thus ushering in a new generation of leadership.
Having joined Husch Blackwell in 2003, Glynias is a long-time member of the firm and is set to succeed Catherine Hanaway in April. He intends to maintain his full-time practice, which primarily focuses on wage and hour collective actions under both state and federal law.
The American Lawyer noted in November that the average age of top leaders who departed their roles at the largest firms last year and this year was 66. Thus, the appointment of Glynias signifies a significant deviation from the norm in Big Law.
Besides bucking the age trend, Husch Blackwell also distinguishes itself from other law firms due to its unique leadership structure. The firm employs a non-lawyer CEO – the only AmLaw 100 firm to do so. Its incoming CEO Jamie Lawless, who will succeed Paul Eberle this Thursday, was instrumental in establishing business and alternative legal service operations that serviced lawyers in 45 countries during her decade-long leadership tenure at Baker McKenzie.
Jen Dlugosz, the deputy managing partner of Husch Blackwell’s virtual office, The Link, and Julie Miceli, the managing partner of the Chicago office, have also been elected to serve three-year terms on Husch Blackwell’s executive board.
In 2022, Husch Blackwell reported an annual revenue of close to $555 million, a 16.6% increase over the preceding year, according to AmLaw.