Jon Van Gorp takes over as Mayer Brown's new chair

Jon Van Gorp takes over as Mayer Brown's new chair

Van Gorp replaced Paul Theiss, the firm's longest-serving chair, who stepped down from the post under the firm's rotation policy

Banking and finance partner Jon Van Gorp has taken over as the new chair of the global law firm Mayer Brown. Van Gorp who shares his time between Chicago and New York offices was elected to replace Paul Theiss whose nine-year tenure finished on 31 May 2021.

Van Gorp's elevation is in line with the firm's culture of rotation of its leadership positions.

Van Gorp has been associated with Mayer Brown for almost a quarter of the century. He had joined the firm from Thompson & Knight in 1997 where he spent three years after graduating from a law school.

He has served in many leadership positions at Mayer Brown and has been serving on its management committee since 2017. Previously he co-led the firm's banking and finance, capital markets and structured finance practices.

"The firm's collaborative 'one-firm' culture, integrated global footprint and strong leadership have put us on a great trajectory, thanks in large part to Paul's stewardship. I look forward to continuing to drive the execution of our strategic vision, and embarking on a listening tour to hear directly from our clients and colleagues across the globe how we can work and innovate together to achieve even greater success," Van Gorp said after his election.

A grateful Mayer Brown listed achievements of Theiss underscoring the firm's growth during his long tenure as chair. The firm said that during Theiss' nine-year tenure, profits per partner increased by 74 per cent with panel appointments growing almost four-fold to 275 clients. Over the same period, the diversity of the firm's partnership almost tripled while total pro bono hours increased globally by more than 50 per cent.

"Mayer Brown has become one of the largest and most successful law firms in the world. Together, we've experienced eight consecutive years of revenue growth, a marked increase in the number of clients who turn to us as their trusted advisor to help address their most complex needs, and developed an integrated culture of working together seamlessly across offices and practices to live our core values," Theiss said.

Theiss termed Gorp as a transparent and steadfast leader who will bring a logical, thoughtful and innovative approach to the role.

"Van Gorp is widely known by the Mayer Brown community as a builder and a connector: he has both experience and a track record of success building our firm and connecting our partners and clients," Theiss added.

Mayer Brown has also elected three partners from its London, Washington DC and Hong Kong offices as new members of its eight-member management committee. They include the firms London managing partner Sally Davies, Washington DC managing partner Raj De and Hong Kong partner Jason Elder.