Kelley Drye Announces Election of James S. Carr as Chair and Appointment of Lewis Rose as Firm Managing Partner

NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Drye & Warren LLP announced today as part of the Firm's strategic plan that James S. Carr has been elected Chair of the Firm, succeeding Paul McCurdy, and Lewis Rose has been appointed Managing Partner, succeeding James J. Kirk. Residents of the Firm's two largest offices, New York and Washington, D.C., Mr. Carr and Mr. Rose will lead a cross-office management team that reflects the Firm's presence in six cities nationwide. Mr. McCurdy and Mr. Kirk will remain involved in the management of the firm and continue as members of the Firm's Executive Committee. The management changes were effective as of January 1, 2015.

"It has been a rewarding experience to help guide the Firm through the challenges we face in the 'new normal' of the legal profession," said Mr. McCurdy. "Jim Kirk and I have pledged our full support to Jim Carr and Lew Rose, and we look forward to continued collaboration with them as the Firm evolves and excels in the delivery of services to our clients."

Mr. Carr joined Kelley Drye's New York office in 1988, was elected to the Executive Committee in 2007, and is Chair of the Bankruptcy and Restructuring practice group. He is well known in the bankruptcy bar, and he has been recognized for his creditor-oriented practice by Chambers Global, Chambers USA, US Legal 500 and Best Lawyers. In 2014, The M&A Advisor chose one of his matters as Retail Manufacturing/Distribution Deal of the Year, and he has been consistently awarded top-five honors in The Deal Pipeline's Bankruptcy League Tables.

"As Chair, Paul McCurdy built upon the Firm's commitment to delivering excellent service and results for our clients," said Mr. Carr. "Under his direction, Kelley Drye became more integrated across offices and practices, creating opportunities for our lawyers to better collaborate as a truly national firm. Today, Kelley Drye is well-positioned to keep evolving with the future needs of our clients, and I look forward to working with my partners as our 179-year tradition of providing quality legal counsel continues." 

Mr. Rose served previously as the Managing Partner of Kelley Drye's Washington, D.C. office, and as the first Firm Managing Partner outside of the New York office, he broadens Kelley Drye's senior leadership team to reflect the Firm's national presence. Past Chair of the Firm's Advertising and Marketing practice group, he is recognized nationally as a leading practitioner of advertising law by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers. Under Mr. Rose's leadership, Kelley Drye was named a Top Place to Work by The Washington Post and one of the Best Places to Work by the Washington Business Journal.

"Kelley Drye is fortunate to have Lew manage the execution of the next phase of our strategic plan to service clients as a fully-integrated firm," said Mr. Kirk. "He and Jim have a combination of vision, passion and enthusiasm that will be of great benefit to the Firm going forward."

Mr. McCurdy will continue his practice at Kelley Drye as Chair of the Firm's Broker-Dealer practice group, representing broker-dealer firms in regulatory, enforcement, compliance, corporate and litigation matters. Mr. Kirk will continue his practice representing clients in commercial real estate matters.

About Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
Kelley Drye was founded in 1836 and has more than 300 lawyers and other professionals practicing in New York, NY; Washington, DC; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Stamford, CT; Parsippany, NJ; and Brussels, Belgium, additionally offering a full scope of legal service through our affiliate relationship with the Mumbai-based independent law firm, Fortitude Law Associates. The Firm helps clients reach their business goals by providing legal advice in more than 30 practice areas, delivered with efficiency, right-sized staffing, excellence in advocacy, early resolution of litigation and use of state-of-the-art technology. These clients do business across all the major sectors of the economy, and include some of the world's largest financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, technology and consumer products companies.

SOURCE Kelley Drye & Warren LLP