As part of leadership shake-up, Dechert appoints new global leadership team

As part of leadership shake-up, Dechert appoints new global leadership team

David Forti and Mark Thierfelder, corporate partners, will support as co-chairs, US Company additionally announces first worldwide managing partners as CEO post stepped down.

As part of a larger leadership reorganisation, Dechert has declared that two of its top corporate lawyers will succeed chair Andy Levander. The firm will also swap the CEO position with joint worldwide managing partners.

On July 1, 2023 David Forti and Mark Thierfelder (partners) will succeed Levander, who has held the position of chairman of the top US firm since 2011.

Henry Nassau, who has been Dechert's CEO since 2016, will leave at the same time, and the company will thereafter dissolve the position.

Forti and Thierfelder are the leaders of two of Dechert's largest transactional practises. They together have 18 years of experience on the firm's policy committee that determines its direction.

Thierfelder, who is located in New York, co-chairs the firm's corporate and securities group and its worldwide private equity practise. Forti, who is based in Philadelphia, the firm's hometown, co-chairs its global finance and real estate practise at the moment.

Along with the new co-chairs, Dechert has chosen two additional senior partners to be its first global managing partners. These two individuals are Sabina Comis (tax partner), who serves as co-managing partner of the firm's Paris office and Vincent Cohen, who oversees the US white collar practise from Washington, DC.

Dechert stated that the pair as global co-managing partners would collaborate with its US and EMEA managing partners to help develop its global strategy and oversee operations. Additionally, they will keep up their existing positions of authority and membership on the firm's policy committee.

According to Levander, "This new leadership team reflects Dechert's basic competencies in transactions, litigation, and tax work across significant worldwide markets." The team brings a diverse range of viewpoints and a team-based approach to drive our business strategy and our culture, and provides continuity for our clients and employees.

Under Levander's leadership, Dechert has risen from about 750 lawyers to more than 1,000 lawyers and $671 million to $1.34 billion in annual revenue.

According to Thierfelder, "Dechert has delivered strong and sustained strategic growth across our key practises and markets and achieved significant success under Andy and Henry's leadership." Dechert is a terrific place to work since they also fostered an innovative and inclusive culture.

Dechert stated that Levander, Nassau and the future leaders will all continue to practise in order to "support their clients and remain committed to the market."

With its new leadership structure, Dechert is the most recent US law firm to switch to a co-leadership structure.