Hughes Hubbard & Reed chair Candace Beinecke doesn’t believe in “silver bullets” when it comes to managing a law firm. After years of steadily climbing up the ranks, her New York-based firm grabbed the number one spot on our 2011 A-List. But Beinecke says management focus isn’t responsible for that success. Quite the opposite. “Our strategy has been to stick to what we know, grow but grow smart, and focus on clients, not on firm management,” she says.
That approach sets Hughes Hubbard apart in an age of blockbuster mergers, massive lateral acquisitions, and the ascension of full-time law firm managers. The 300-lawyer firm has roughly the same head count as a decade ago and only one more office. (Hughes opened its seventh office in Jersey City in 2003.) Hughes hasn’t adopted grand new diversity initiatives, implemented new pro bono requirements, or made massive changes to its associates program. Instead, Beinecke and her partners have made steady and small tweaks to the 123-year-old firm. The results have been impressive in their consistency, with Hughes Hubbard increasing its total A-List score every year since 2005.
