8 May 2007 – LAWFUEL – The Law Firm Newswire – Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP Managing Partner Debora de Hoyos will leave the position she has held for more than 15 years for a newly-created role on the firm’s management committee, effective June 1. In her new role, Ms. de Hoyos will take responsibility for firm-wide client development initiatives and lawyer recruitment and development. Managing partner duties will be folded into the new Office of the Chairman, which was announced last October and also takes effect on June 1.
Ms. de Hoyos came to what was then Mayer, Brown & Platt in 1978 after graduating from Harvard Law School. In 1985, she became a partner in the Finance Practice. In 1991, she became the first woman named managing partner of a large U.S. law firm and has held the position since then. As managing partner, Ms. de Hoyos has been part of the leadership team that guided Mayer Brown from being considered predominantly “a Chicago firm” to its present position as one of the leading global law firms.
“Debora has contributed greatly to the success of the entire firm,” said James D. Holzhauer, chairman-elect of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw. “We know she will continue to bring her unique talents to bear for the benefit of our clients and the firm in her new position.”
The new role will mesh a focus on enhancing client relationships with a focus on attracting, developing and retaining world-class legal talent at every level. Commented Ms. de Hoyos, “I have loved the challenges and rewards of being managing partner of this great law firm, but after 15-plus years I am ready for a different role, more tightly focused on a few key priorities.”
She continued, “I am very pleased that Jim Holzhauer, our new Chairman, and Ken Geller and Paul Maher, our new Vice Chairmen, as well as the rest of the management committee, are committed to innovation in nurturing and sustaining our client relationships and developing the best legal talent. We do a fine job in both these areas now, but nothing is more important than finding ways to be even better. Our objective is to be consistently ‘best in class’ both with respect to the firm’s clients and its lawyers.”
“Debora’s vision for the firm, and her ability to make that vision a reality, are a true testament to her skills, dedication and drive,” commented Ty Fahner, chairman of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw. “The firm has been fortunate to have her as its managing partner and we are enthusiastic about the prospect of her applying her formidable experience, knowledge and skills for the firm in a new role.”
In 1998, Ms. de Hoyos was named by the National Law Journal as one of the “50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in America.” She has also been recognized by Harvard Law Bulletin as one of 50 outstanding alumnae of the law school on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the admission of women there. In addition Ms. de Hoyos has been consistently honored for more than a decade with a place on Crain’s Chicago Business’ list of “Who’s Who in Chicago Business,” and profiled by American Lawyer and the Chicago Tribune.
Ms. de Hoyos has been an active and visible member in the Chicago community. She currently chairs the board of Providence-St. Mel School and serves on the boards of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute and the Institute for the International Educations of Students.
