SEATTLE (April 17, 2019)–Perkins Coie announced today that William Malley will become Managing Partner of the firm, effective July 1, 2019. Malley, who currently serves as the Washington, D.C. Managing Partner, will succeed John Devaney, who was appointed Managing Partner of the firm in 2014. Devaney will remain a partner in the firm’s Litigation practice.

“I am excited and honored to be named Perkins Coie’s Managing Partner and to succeed a leader like John, who has set a high bar,” Malley said. “The last five years have been a highly successful period in our firm’s history, significantly due to John’s leadership, commitment to exceptional client service and dedication to the unique culture that defines Perkins Coie. His steady management and innovative thinking were crucial to Perkins Coie’s significant successes in this dynamic legal environment. I am grateful for this tremendous opportunity and the trust that my colleagues have placed in me.” 

Malley was selected for the firm’s top leadership position following an extensive process that involved interviewing the firm’s partners and senior professional staff. He will work closely with Devaney and others at the firm to ensure a seamless transition and continuity in the day-to-day management of the 1,100-lawyer firm.

“Bill brings to the position deep experience in law firm leadership and management, a keen understanding of our culture and commitment to diversity and inclusion, a passion for developing our people and an unwavering commitment to excellent client service and first-rate lawyering,” said Dave McShea, Chair of Perkins Coie’s Executive Committee. “His extraordinary talent, energy and vision will help us accomplish the firm’s strategic goals and further position Perkins Coie as a trusted advisor and world-class employer.” 

Under Devaney, Perkins Coie had strong year-over-year financial performances, including record results in 2018. The firm’s emphasis on client service, including the launch of its Client Advantage platform last year, has led to an increase in Perkins Coie’s preferred provider relationships. The firm also continued its emphasis on maintaining a strong, vibrant culture, evident in its ranking as one of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For™” for 17 consecutive years.

“It’s been the honor of my professional career to lead this great firm, where I’ve practiced for the past 30-plus years,” Devaney said. “I know that Perkins Coie will continue to grow and flourish under Bill’s exceptional leadership and through the outstanding talent and commitment of our lawyers and staff throughout the firm.”

In addition to supporting Malley’s transition to Managing Partner, Devaney will return to the litigation practice he has had at Perkins Coie for the past three decades and will continue to manage the client relationships he has maintained while serving as Managing Partner. “John’s superb leadership has reverberated deeply throughout the firm,” said Molly Moynihan, a member of the firm’s Management Committee. “His tireless, steadfast focus on building client relationships, deepening our talent and diversity, and strengthening our culture will be apparent for years to come.”

About Bill Malley

Malley joined Perkins Coie in 2008 as a partner in the firm’s Energy, Environment & Resources practice, where he advises public- and private-sector clients on navigating the environmental review process for major infrastructure projects. Over the last 25 years, he has served as lead environmental counsel to project developers on some of the largest transportation infrastructure projects in the United States and has been a thought leader on ways to streamline environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects. Malley also advises clients on emerging federal and state regulatory frameworks for autonomous vehicles. He co-leads the firm’s Infrastructure Project Development practice and its Autonomous Vehicles industry group.

Since 2010, Malley has served as Managing Partner of Perkins Coie’s Washington, D.C. office—the firm’s second-largest and fastest-growing—which today has 140 lawyers across several practices, including Corporate, Litigation, Intellectual Property, Environment & Natural Resources and Political Law. Under Malley’s leadership, the office has experienced strong growth in attorney diversity, with 56 percent of attorneys today being women, lawyers of color or LGBTQ+. Malley and his Washington, D.C. colleagues also have a strong commitment to pro bono service, recently having been recognized for outstanding pro bono service by the Washington, D.C. Circuit Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services. Additionally, the office has been included in The Washington Post’s Top Workplaces list multiple times.

Before joining Perkins Coie, Malley was a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP for nearly 8 years. He started his legal career as an associate at Cutler & Stanfield LLP, where he was promoted to partner.

Malley earned his A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard University. He also received his M.Sc., with distinction from The London School of Economics and his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served as co-editor-in-chief of the Yale Journal on Regulation. Following law school, Malley clerked for the Honorable José Cabranes, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. He is a native of Buffalo, New York.

Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

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