The shake-up was unanimously approved by the firm’s US Board of Directors and will see three senior management team members in new roles. Mike McNamara, current US managing partner, will become Dentons US CEO, while Jeff Haidet, current US Co-CEO, will become US chair and Peter Wolfson, who is also a US Co-CEO, will transition to being a global vice chair. As part of the reshuffle, Mr McNamara has also been named to the Dentons Global Board and Global Management Committee.

Leadership transition

Mr Haidet and Mr Wolfson will continue being members of the US and Global Boards of the firm. ‘This US leadership transition is the next step in our long-term strategy to grow, integrate and innovate as we build the law firm of the future. Mike, Jeff and Peter each have played a critical role in our success to date and will continue to do so,’ said global CEO Elliott Portnoy.

Leadership roles

Mr McNamara, who joined the firm in 2002, has served as US managing partner for five years and is one of the founding partners and past chair of the Firm’s Public Policy and Regulation practice. He has held a number of senior leadership roles, including US integration partner for the 2010 combination between Sonnenschein and Denton Wilde Sapte that created SNR Denton.

Corporate clients

Prior to the firm’s 2015 merger with Dentons, Mr Haidet served for more than a decade as chair of McKenna Long, which he joined in 1985. His client practice focuses on domestic and international commercial transactions for a variety of corporate clients.

Growth initiatives

 Mr Wolfson joined Dentons in 2001 and has been centrally engaged in many of its growth initiatives. He has over three decades’ experience in representing high-profile debtors, creditor and bondholder committees, equity committees, plan sponsors, asset purchasers and other parties of interest in out-of-court restructurings and Chapter 11 cases.