Historically, law firms have been run by lawyers, éminence grise types who shoehorn management duties in around their own preeminent practice. While many current Am Law 200 managing partners have dramatically reduced their client work, leaders of some of the New York firms, especially, consider it a point of pride that they can still madly juggle both high-powered jobs. (I assume their cardiologists, if not their children’s shrinks, are on speed dial.)
But now there’s another model: a nonlawyer CEO. This chief reports to a law firm’s executive committee/board, and the lawyers, in turn, report up to him.
