Locke Lord Elects Leadership Roles

January 21, 2014 - The Partners of Locke Lord LLP have re-elected Jerry Clements as Chair of the global law firm, and have re-elected Daniel Schlessinger and Bill Swanstrom as Vice Chairs. They also have re-elected Tom Yoxall and elected Sarah Linton to the 10-member Executive Committee.

Clements, who is based in Austin, has led the Firm since 2006 and has been instrumental in its growth, including the 2007 combination between Texas-based Locke Liddell & Sapp and Chicago’s Lord, Bissell & Brook. Under Clements’ leadership, Locke Lord has opened offices in London and Hong Kong to better serve its clients, become a Top 100 AmLaw firm, received recognition for its robust practice areas and reported strong revenues in challenging times.

Clements, is one of few women to lead a large law firm. Among many honors, she has been named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers by the National Law Journal, one of 30 Extraordinary Women in Texas Law by Texas Lawyer and one of Texas' Most Powerful Women by the Texas Diversity Council.  She is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation of the ACTL. She also is a Member of the Baylor University Board of Regents.

Schlessinger, who is based in Chicago, was first elected Vice Chair in 2012. He was Managing Partner and Chairman of Lord, Bissell & Brook from 2001 through 2004. He has more than 30 years of experience in business litigation. 

Swanstrom, who is based in Houston, was first elected Vice Chair in 2011. He serves as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Energy Practice Group and has more than 25 years of experience working with energy companies.

Yoxall, who is based in Dallas, handles financial services cases, class action litigation and general commercial litigation. Linton, who offices in London, is head of the UK Employment Practice.

Locke Lord consistently ranks among American Lawyer’s top 100 U.S. law firms. The Firm’s full range of practice and industry areas serve national and international clients from offices in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco and Washington, DC. It has an excellent reputation in complex litigation, regulatory and transactional work, with its 650-plus attorneys building collaborative relationships and crafting creative solutions – all designed and executed to meet clients’ long-term strategic goals.