Steptoe & Johnson elects litigation partner as chairperson

Steptoe & Johnson elects litigation partner as chairperson

Gwendolyn Prothro Renigar becomes the first woman and youngest lawyer to land the job

Washington DC-based law firm Steptoe & Johnson has elected litigation partner and general counsel as first woman chairperson of its executive committee.

Also serving as vice-chairperson, Renigar succeeds Philip West, who was chairman for eight years. He will return to his tax practice full-time.

Meanwhile, intellectual property practice head and partner Alfred Mamlet has been elected to take over Renigar's duties as vice-chairman.

Commenting on Renigar's elevation, West said, "She has worked closely with me to keep our firm focused and thriving during the pandemic." He added, "She will build on what we have achieved so far and keep us moving forward. Her commitment to our clients and our firm and her knowledge of the industry make Renigar an ideal leader for Steptoe's future."

Renigar first joined Steptoe in 1997. She focuses her practice on professional liability, fiduciary counseling and litigation for clients across the healthcare, financial services and government sectors. She also counsels law firms and lawyers on matters including risk management, loss prevention and firm management.

The general counsel for Steptoe since 2016, Renigar was elected vice-chairperson in 2018.

Vice-chairman Mamlet focuses on advising telecommunications clients, including satellite operators, on regulatory, transactional and litigation matters. He has handled mergers and acquisitions transactions, joint ventures, licensing arrangements and distribution and other complex commercial agreements over the course of his legal career.

Mamlet stated, "Our combination of lawyers, some who have been with Steptoe for their entire professional careers and others who have joined more recently, choose the firm every day for its combination of collegiality, excellent client service and world-class practices."

"I look forward to continuing our growth, developing our talent and managing our financial performance," he added.