Jenner & Block, a leading law firm, has appointed Lindsay Harrison, a litigator and co-chair of its real estate and hospitality group, as the new head of its Washington office. She takes over from Sam Feder, who will continue to work in the firm’s communications practice. Harrison is the first woman to lead the office with around 100 lawyers in the firm’s history.
Jenner & Block has expanded its investments in Washington and added 24 lateral attorneys, including six partners, since 2022. The Washington office is the firm’s largest outside of its Chicago headquarters. According to the American Lawyer, the firm’s revenue in 2021 was around $465m, making it one of the 100 largest law operations in the US.
Harrison plans to focus on growing the office’s litigation and regulatory practices, emphasizing areas such as antitrust and government investigations. She said, “We’re not trying to be all things to all people. We’re really trying to focus on the areas that we do really, really well.”
Harrison, who has been with the firm since 2001, except for two federal clerkships, graduated from Harvard Law School in 2003. She has built a practice across various areas, including hospitality, education, and appellate litigation. As a student, Harrison asked every law firm she met with during on-campus interviews whether they had openly gay partners. Jenner & Block was one of the few firms that touted its LGBTQ members, and Harrison said, “At Jenner, you could be your whole self.” As office leader, Harrison plans to emphasize diversity and inclusion, as her predecessor did. According to the firm, nearly 60% of the attorneys in the office are from underrepresented groups, and a majority in the last three Washington partner classes are diverse.
Jenner & Block has recently hired several attorneys to its Washington office, including former Skadden Arps energy partner John Estes, former King & Spalding international arbitration partner Kenneth Beale, and Emily Loeb, who rejoined Jenner & Block as its congressional investigations head after working at the Department of Justice.
Co-managing partners Katya Jestin and Randy Mehrberg said in a joint statement that Feder “has expanded the DC office through strategic recruitment of laterals and ensured our culture thrived throughout the pandemic.”
In conclusion, Jenner & Block’s appointment of Lindsay Harrison as head of its Washington office is part of the firm’s ongoing investment in the area. Harrison plans to focus on growing the office’s litigation and regulatory practices, emphasizing areas such as antitrust and government investigations. She also plans to emphasize diversity and inclusion, as her predecessor did. Jenner & Block has recently hired several attorneys to its Washington office, and the firm’s revenue in 2021 was around $465m.