Keith Wetmore, former chair and chief executive partner of Morrison & Foerster, is leaving the law firm to join a recruitment company as managing director. He willl join Major, Lindsey & Africa’s San Francisco office as a managing director next month. Mr Wetmore was chairman of Morrison & Foerster for 12 years beginning in 2000, and has served as chairman emeritus since then. One of the first openly gay men to lead a large law firm, Mr Wetmore saw the firm double its total revenue and triple its net income on his watch. He was also responsible for developing the New York office as well as overing Asian expansion.  

Unique perspective

'Keith is an expert law firm leader who has a wealth of insight on the Bay Area and global legal markets from his many years of experience,' said Kirsten Vasquez, partner and executive director of law firm recruiting at Major, Lindsey & Africa. 'With his firsthand experience as a law firm partner and as the chair of one of the world's most prestigious law firms, he will bring a unique, indeed, perhaps unsurpassed, perspective into partners' career development and into law firms' growth strategies. We're looking forward to all that Keith accomplishes in this next chapter of his career with Major, Lindsey & Africa.'  Commenting on the appointment, Mr Wetmore said: 'During my tenure, I hired over one hundred lateral partners and counselled hundreds of partners annually on their professional development. I'm looking forward to building on this passion as both a career consultant to lawyers and a strategic advisor to firms in my new role with Major, Lindsey & Africa.'