After months of deliberation, K&L Gates has finally confirmed the two lawyers who replace outgoing global chairman and managing partner Peter Kalis when he steps down next year after two decades at the helm. Current vice chair of practice management Michael Caccese has been selected as the new chairman of the firm’s management committee, while current vice chair and general counsel Jim Segerdahl will become global managing partner and CEO. Both partners will commence their four-year leadership terms at the beginning of next March.

Tough act to follow

According to K&L Gates, the decision to appoint both Mr Caccese and Mr Segerdahl was unanimously approved by the firm’s 75-partner global management committee. Outgoing leader Mr Kalis has given his own seal of approval to his successors, telling The Lawyer that both men have the ‘complete confidence’ of the firm. Under his five terms as global chair and managing partner, Mr Kalis has expanded K&L Gates from a 400-lawyer firm across six US offices to a major global player with more than 2,000 lawyers in 46 offices across five continents. ‘Mike Caccese and I have enormous shoes to fill in succeeding Pete Kalis,’ said Mr Segerdahl in a statement to Law.com.