White & Case has elected banking and project finance partner Hugh Verrier as its new chairman.
Verrier, presently head of the firm's Moscow office, will relocate to New York by the fall to take on the top leadership role. He will succeed managing partner Duane D. Wall, the firm's head since 2000.
Under a new governance structure adopted by the firm in May, Verrier will lead an executive committee consisting of himself and three other partners of his choosing. The firm will also have a partnership committee with eight elected members.
The Canadian-born Verrier has led White & Case's Moscow office since 1998, focusing his practice on the energy sector. He also previously headed the firm's Ankara office and practiced in Indonesia and New York as well.
With more than 2,000 lawyers in 35 offices around the world, White & Case has the largest global footprint of any U.S. law firm. In an interview earlier this year, Wall said the firm's next great task was to integrate its far-flung offices better and attract more large clients who could take advantage of its global network.
