Willkie's Nusbaum names successors
Willkie Farr & Gallagher today (24 April) announced a new management structure, a move that has confirmed the identity of the successors to iconic chairman, Jack Nusbaum.
The so-called ‘office of the chairman’ includes the appointment of two vice chairmen, New York corporate partners Tom Cerabino and Steve Gartner. Chairman Jack Nusbaum will continue in his current role and will also lead the new, broader management team.
Nusbaum said the managerial changes were “an important step” in the evolution of the leadership of Willkie.
“My successors have been elected,” he told The Lawyer. “My hope, and that of the partnership, is that when the time comes they’ll become co-chairmen of the firm.”
Nusbaum has effectively been head of Willkie since 1987, when he was elected co-chairman with Bob Hodes. Hodes stepped down in 1995, leaving Nusbaum as sole head ever since. An M&A specialist, Nusbaum played key roles in the merger of Nasdaq with the American Stock Exchange, the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco and various deals for Donald Trump.
Both Cerabino and Gartner are members of the firm’s executive committee and have been with Willkie for more than 20 years. In addition, Cerabino is co-chair of the M&A practice while Gartner is co-chair of Willkie’s private equity practice.
