McDermott Will & Emery has been a fixture of London legal life since November 1998 but for much of that time it could most charitably have been described as belonging to the City’s ‘also rans’. Not any more. Over the past three years in particular, under the local stewardship of former Taylor Wessing corporate partner Hamid Yunis and global steer of chair Ira Coleman, McDermott has flourished. London growth is off the charts, with revenue understood to have more than doubled under Yunis to in the region of $100m. Headcount has ballooned and benefitted from several years of canny lateral hiring.
And the most visible change? McDermott’s summer 2022 move to the 46th floor of 22 Bishopsgate, one of the most prestigious new builds in the City. Throughout its recent evolution, Yunis has kept his steady hand on the strategic tiller, ensuring the office’s growth is globally aligned with the firm. But for Yunis success has also always been about the people. The raft of diversity and inclusion-related, pro-bono and other initiatives he has spearheaded and championed, ranging from the launch of a wellbeing committee, an inspirational leaders programme and the Women Together networking group is testament to a leader who knows that financial, tangible success is only part of the picture.