Chicago, October 17, 2007 – LAWFUEL – Legal Newswire – Baker & McKenzie has re-elected John Conroy to a second consecutive three-year term as Chairman of the Firm’s Executive Committee.
Mr. Conroy, who has served on the committee since 1998, was first elected Chairman in 2004. Since then, he has led Firm implementation of a global strategy that was adopted at the time of his election in 2004. Under that strategy, the Firm’s global fee income has risen 50%, while profits per partner (PPP) have risen 63%, surpassing US$1 million PPP for the first time.
Mr. Conroy said: “I’m honored by the Firm’s expression of trust and support. Thanks to the concerted efforts of our lawyers and staff worldwide, Baker & McKenzie is very much a Firm on the rise. We are now leveraging our distinctive global platform more strategically for our clients and our people. I’m looking forward to continuing efforts with my colleagues to achieve even more ambitious goals for the Firm. With a strong brand in this era of accelerating globalization, Baker & McKenzie is well positioned to realize its full potential around the world.”
Mr. Conroy has been a Partner in Chicago since 1987. He was elected U.S. Managing Partner in 1999, and held the position of North American Managing Partner until his election as Executive Committee Chairman in 2004. He has held other significant management roles at Baker & McKenzie, including Chair of the Firm’s Global Banking & Finance Steering Committee and Chair of the Global Major Projects Steering Committee.
In addition to Mr. Conroy’s appointment, Baker & McKenzie also announced the election of Peter Engstrom to the Executive Committee, effective October 20, 2007. Mr. Engstrom, most recently Managing Partner of Baker & McKenzie’s San Francisco/Palo Alto office, replaces Nick Coward of the Firm’s Washington D.C. office as a representative for North America. Mr. Coward is returning to practice with the Firm’s Trade & Commerce Practice Group.
Mr. Conroy said: “We owe our deepest gratitude to Nick Coward for his five years of exceptional service on the Executive Committee. He has been a passionate and articulate force in helping us develop and implement our current strategy. He also has been a stalwart for Baker & McKenzie’s core values and culture. I know Nick will remain a trusted leader as he returns to practice.”
Mr. Conroy added: “We are confident Peter Engstrom will be a valued contributor in his new role. He has had great success in building our presence in the Bay Area, and is known as a strategic thinker and talented leader. These traits and his experience will serve us well as we work to take Baker & McKenzie to even higher levels of overall performance.”
In August 2007, Baker & McKenzie reported record global fee income of US$1.829 billion (+$307 million or 20%), with PPP of $1,063,000.
In recent years, Baker & McKenzie has strengthened its position in key markets, including leading financial centers. The Firm’s New York office added more than 70 attorneys and staff from Coudert Brothers in 2005, while the Firm enhanced its Tokyo capabilities with the addition in 2007 of Fumio Koma and a team of lawyers from Asahi Koma Law Offices and Janssen Foreign Law office. In 2005, Baker & McKenzie London strengthened its structured finance and capital markets capabilities with the addition of Jonathan Walsh and a team from Norton Rose.
Baker & McKenzie’s Executive Committee is responsible for developing and implementing the Firm’s global strategy and for managing the day-to-day business of the Firm. The committee has eight elected principals, including the Chairman, from the Firm’s geographic regions.
