LAWFUEL – The Law Firm Newswire
(NEW YORK) September 5, 2007 – Heller Ehrman LLP has hired Suzanne Hawkins as its firmwide Chief of Practice Excellence. This newly created position will be responsible for the development, implementation and management of firmwide systems, processes and training to support and enhance the delivery of legal services to clients. Hawkins has more than 25 years of experience in the legal industry. In addition to serving as senior counsel at General Electric Co. for seven years, Hawkins served as a managing director at Huron Consulting Group and as a vice president at Hildebrandt International.
“Suzanne brings a high level of expertise to Heller Ehrman, along with an outstanding reputation,” said Robert B. Hubbell, firmwide managing shareholder of Heller Ehrman. “Her extensive consulting background for both law-firm clients and in-house legal departments makes her an ideal fit for this position. We are delighted to welcome her to the firm.”
Hawkins most recently served as managing director in the New York office of Huron Consulting Group Inc., a Chicago-based provider of financial and operational consulting services. From 2004 to 2006 Hawkins was a vice president of Hildebrandt International. As a consultant, she advised general counsel and law firms on a variety of strategic initiatives. These projects included inside and outside counsel management, process improvement in litigation, compliance, contracting, technology (including knowledge management) and advice on structure and organization. She also served for seven years as senior counsel, legal operations, at General Electric Co., where she was responsible for the development and implementation of Six Sigma initiatives affecting GE’s 1,000 lawyers, and the quality and productivity of internal and external legal resources.
Hawkins earned a law degree, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown, where she was a member of the dean’s list.
In her new role at Heller Ehrman, Hawkins will be responsible for developing best practices to ensure that the highest quality legal work will be delivered to clients, and that that the firm provides services that are efficient, cost-effective and responsive to client needs. Her responsibilities include the development and implementation of processes and training to enhance the delivery of legal services. Hawkins will work closely with firm leadership, its attorneys and practice support professionals across the firm to accomplish these objectives.
“Heller Ehrman has a strong reputation for client service and for innovation,” Hawkins said. “This is an exciting opportunity for me, and I am looking forward to this new challenge.”
About Heller Ehrman LLP
Heller Ehrman LLP has more than 700 attorneys and professionals in 13 offices worldwide – Anchorage, Alaska; Beijing; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; Madison, Wis.; New York; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Singapore; and Washington, D.C. Heller Ehrman represents a wide range of industry leaders, from entrepreneurial, technology-driven enterprises to established, multinational conglomerates. The firm’s core values are Excellence, People, Teamwork, Innovation, Community and One Firm. For more information, visit www.hellerehrman.com
