McDermott Chair Declares New Era at Firm

Being the boss isn’t always easy.

Since taking over as chair of McDermott Will & Emery in January, Ira Coleman has been working on how to make the firm more profitable, while holding onto all of its clients and rainmakers — basically the triple crown that any law firm leader dreams about.

But at McDermott there’s also some expectation the firm will return to where it was a decade ago: In 2006, it ranked as the 26th most profitable firm whereas in 2017, it was 45th, according to its reported profit per partner figures.

First and foremost, Coleman has tried to ...