Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has appointed Wheatly MacNamara, a seasoned real estate lawyer, as the upcoming managing partner of its London office, reflecting a trend towards greater law firm gender diversity, particularly US-based law firms.
MacNamara becomes the first woman to hold this position at the top 15 US firm, (which just misses the LawFuel ‘Prestige Law Firm’ ranking, taking the reins from Jason Glover, who has led the 200-plus lawyer office since 2017, MacNamara is set to assume her new role in October.
A long-time member of the Simpson Thacher team, MacNamara brings eight years of partnership experience and a focus on real estate acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures, particularly for private capital sponsors.
She specializes in real estate acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures and has been recognized for her work at the intersection of real estate and private equity, including standout deals that have marked her as a notable figure in the legal industry.
Her expertise and contributions have earned her recognition as a Rising Star by Law360.
Her client portfolio includes notable names such as KKR, Apollo, Northwood, and Blackstone, where she played a key role in multiple transactions and the €21 billion recapitalization.
Alden Millard, chair of Simpson Thacher’s executive committee, expressed confidence in MacNamara, describing her as incredibly talented and anticipating her to be a tremendous asset to clients in her new capacity. Millard also extended gratitude to Jason Glover for his service as London managing partner, acknowledging his role in enhancing the firm’s offerings in the region.
Under Glover’s leadership, Simpson Thacher’s London office experienced substantial growth, with revenue expanding by approximately 23% in 2023 to reach $465 million. The office nearly doubled in size, growing from 113 lawyers in 2017 to 219 at the start of this year, including 52 partners. Despite the remarkable achievements, Glover believes it is the right time for this transition, expressing confidence in MacNamara’s leadership.
Glover will continue to contribute to the firm as a partner, serving in a strategic role. Reflecting on his tenure as London managing partner, he highlighted the office’s surpassing of growth goals and expressed pride in the achievements during his leadership. MacNamara looks forward to building upon this legacy and the firm’s successes as she steps into her new role.
Women in Charge at Law Firms
Despite women constituting 47% of associates at the 200 largest US law firms, they only made up about 20 percent of equity partners. In the UK, the figures also reflect a disparity, with women being less represented in partner positions compared to their male counterparts.
Recent figures indicate a shift in gender representation at U.S. law firms with more women in law than ever, as we have reported.
For the first time in 2023, women associates outnumbered their male counterparts, accounting for over 50 percent of the total.
As law firms increasingly recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion, and many have been actively working to improve gender representation in their leadership through various initiatives, the law firm leadership situation for women is slowly changing for the better.
