Morgan Lewis Structured New Global Leadership Team
The firm has realigned its executive oversight to focus on unified internal culture and specialized service practices.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in People
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Morgan Lewis has appointed a new leadership team, including Firm Chair David McManus, to oversee its global operations. The change organizes the firm's management around four specific functional pillars to better support its 2,200 lawyers and specialists.
Why it matters
The firm implemented this structural shift to sharpen its focus on elite legal practices and foster a more unified culture across its global offices. This move centralizes accountability for strategy, talent, and performance.
The firm, which maintains a workforce of 2,200 lawyers and specialists, has launched a structure centered on four primary leadership roles. This follows the appointment of David McManus, a partner with 30 years of tenure, to a five-year term as Firm Chair.
The players
David McManus
The newly appointed Firm Chair who has served as a partner at Morgan Lewis for more than 30 years.
Tony Licata
The Chief Operating Officer at Morgan Lewis who has held the position since 2014.
Christina Melendi
The Managing Partner of Global Strategy at Morgan Lewis.
Bart Bassett
The Managing Partner of Global Talent at Morgan Lewis.
Steven Reed
The Managing Partner of Global Performance at Morgan Lewis.
The details
The new leadership structure assigns specific responsibility for global strategy to Christina Melendi, global talent to Bart Bassett, and global performance to Steven Reed. Tony Licata, who has served as Chief Operating Officer since 2014, remains in his role to oversee firm operations. By segmenting leadership into these four functional pillars, the firm aims to improve institutional accountability.
Timeline
2014: Tony Licata was appointed chief operating officer.
October 6, 2026: Morgan Lewis announced the new leadership team.
Market Landscape
This reorganization follows the broader industry trend of large professional service firms centralizing executive management to streamline decision-making. It marks a shift away from decentralized partnership models toward targeted, functional leadership roles.
Operators should monitor whether this functional realignment results in faster service delivery or more standardized client engagement processes across the firm's global practice groups. Firms of any size should watch for shifts in how the firm's leadership prioritizes talent and performance metrics.
The takeaway
When high-growth professional firms reach thousands of employees, functional leadership often replaces generalist management to ensure consistency. Consider whether your current management structure allows for specialized oversight of your firm's most critical performance metrics.
Further reading
For more on shifts in firm structure and executive roles, visit People.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Globallegalchronicle.
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