Willkie Farr & Gallagher has named private equity co-head Jeffrey Poss as its new joint chairman, replacing veteran leader Thomas Cerabino who will step down from the role at the end of next year.
New York-based Poss will serve alongside Matthew Feldman, who has led the firm with Cerabino since 2021. Poss has spent his nearly 35-year career at Willkie and has been a member of the firm’s senior leadership team for the past 15 years, including on its executive committee.
“When Tom announced his intention to step down at the end of 2026, the executive committee focused on identifying a successor who could build on his legacy of driving growth at the firm, determining that Jeff is the best person to fill that role,” Feldman said. “He is passionate about Willkie’s long-term success and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration in propelling the firm forward.”
Poss has been a partner at Willkie for the past 25 years and focuses on private equity and venture capital transactions, as well as M&A involving public and private companies. He has advised mid-market PE firms Aquiline Capital Partners and Genstar Capital and their portflio companies on numerous deals, including guiding Genstar’s Cetera on its its $1.2bn take-private acquisition of financial services firm Avantax in 2023.
“I’m honoured to have been chosen by the executive committee to assume the role of joint chairman,” Poss said. “Matt and I have a terrific, well-established relationship as a result of our collaboration on firm initiatives over the years. We see tremendous opportunity to accelerate our position among the top firms in Big Law and I look forward to continuing to support the work he and Tom have been doing to propel Willkie.”
Since taking on the chair role in 2010 Cerabino has overseen Willkie’s growth from a $530m firm with eight offices to a $1.8bn firm with 16 offices globally, including its recently opened locations in Hamburg and Dallas. The firm’s focus on M&A, private equity, litigation, asset management, insurance, bankruptcy and restructuring, and private wealth yielded record results in 2024, pushing up revenue 18% to $1.78bn and profit per equity partner 17% to $4.5m.
Feldman said Cerabino was a “leader who has brought to reality a stronger Willkie, built on a larger and more diversified platform for success... It’s an honour to manage the firm alongside him and we thank him for his continued guidance”.
Cerabino will continue to practice at Willkie as a partner after stepping down as chairman, the firm said.
“Serving as chairman at Willkie has been and remains a privilege,” Cerabino commented. “When I shared with the partnership in mid-2024 my intention to step down, I knew it was time to start the process of passing the reins to our next chairman as part of the natural order of succession. Willkie has been my professional home for more than 40 years and I am confident the firm is positioned for long-term success.”
Poss will take up his role as joint chairman 1 January 2027.
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