Ballard Spahr names Peter Michaud as chair to succeed Mark Stewart

In a move that underscored its increasing national emphasis, Ballard Spahr LLP announced Wednesday a succession system that will spot the firm’s leadership outdoors Philadelphia for the first time.

The firm’s chair, Mark Stewart, 66, will move down as of Dec. 31, 2023. And Peter Michaud, 53, a Minneapolis-dependent associate at the company and the chair of its Business enterprise and Transactions Section, has been elected to fill the function. Stewart will return to day to day observe as a husband or wife at the organization.

Michaud, who will split his time amongst Minneapolis and Philadelphia, is not only the initially chief in the firm’s 137-12 months historical past to occur from outdoors the region. He is also the very first Ballard leader to establish as an overtly homosexual guy.

“When I very first began practicing, openly gay lawyers were being unusual,” Michaud stated by e mail. “It would imply a lot to me if, at the end of my job, that weren’t the scenario and that Ballard had performed a little section in contributing to diverse attorneys, LGBTQ+ persons among them, being aware of that they are welcome.”

Ballard ranks 93rd amongst the country’s major 100 legislation corporations by revenue.

Stewart, who has led the business since 2011, identified as Michaud “an extraordinary talent, a good friend, and someone who has been a crucial aspect of the management of the firm around the previous several decades,” according to a company statement.

Stewart’s stepping down is in line with a Ballard Spahr policy that companions 65 or older are unable to operate for the chair seat, he instructed the Lawful Intelligencer.

Michaud and Stewart will get the job done intently during an 18-month transition period of time.

Michaud pointed out that “last 12 months, the firm experienced its finest money overall performance ever” regardless of the pandemic.

“[Stewart] has guided Ballard by an economic downturn to historic progress in both of those headcount and income,” Michaud said, referring to the firm’s expansion to 15 places of work throughout the region and 643 practising attorneys. “He aided us navigate a international pandemic with power, humanity, and an unwavering emphasis on the needs of our consumers, legal professionals, and employees.”

Ballard Spahr is frequently mentioned as just one of the most effective legislation companies based in Philadelphia, the place it maintains its most significant office environment, with 222 lawyers. The Washington place of work ranks next, with 81 lawyers.

More than the earlier 10 yrs, Ballard has merged with various firms throughout the state, increasing its footprint and its practice locations to include legal professionals in mental house, Initially Modification rights, and mergers and acquisitions.

In 2018, it merged with Lindquist & Vennum, which gave the firm an expanded existence in Denver, as very well as new locations in Sioux Falls, S.D., and in Minneapolis, wherever Michaud experienced worked because 1996.

Michaud, who has a dwelling in Minnesota and an apartment in Philadelphia, claimed touring amid Ballard’s 15 offices will keep him chaotic. “I foresee a good deal of regular-flier miles in my foreseeable future,” he mentioned.

At the time of the Lindquist merger, Stewart told The Inquirer, “It’s not that we felt our measurement was an impediment, or shoppers didn’t consider we had been spectacular adequate with only 550 lawyers [before the two mergers]. It was a strategic go to improve the depth of our business observe, and grow into a region of the region in which we were not found. It all looked correct to us. I never see numbers as currently being the target. I see the energy of the exercise remaining the purpose.”

Michaud echoed Stewart’s sentiment, indicating, “There is not any magic amount for workplaces or attorneys.” But he suspects a single space that the organization will go on to increase is environmental, social, and governance [ESG] perform.

“Clients are hunting to us to acquire and maintain their ESG strategies, and this place aligns with our regarded talent in litigation, environmental regulation, public finance, securities, and company governance,” Michaud explained.

In Philadelphia, Ballard represents neighborhood notables which include the Phillies, DuPont, and Comcast. Marcel S. Pratt, formerly the Metropolis of Philadelphia’s best attorney, is handling companion of the firm’s Philadelphia business.

And Ballard lawyer Henry Hockeimer Jr. represents John Dougherty, the former business manager for IBEW Neighborhood 98 who was discovered responsible in November of federal bribery rates. Dougherty is awaiting sentencing on individuals prices.

In progress of Dougherty’s next trial, established to begin up coming week, motions submitted by prosecutors uncovered an informant in the former labor leader’s inner circle. Hockeimer maintains that his client’s initially trial could have been tainted if the informant’s recordings included conversations about trial preparations.