Munger Tolles Announces Reelection of Firm Chair, Co-Managing Partners

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP is proud to announce that the firm has re-elected Hailyn Chen and Malcolm Heinicke to their second term as Co-Managing Partners and Brad Brian to his second term as Firm Chair. Mr. Brian, Ms. Chen and Mr. Heinicke were elected by consensus and will serve for three more years. 

“It is not surprising they won a second term given the wonderful work they did to lead our firm through unprecedented times,” saidApril Hu, an associate and member of the Committee on Chair and Managing Partner Roles responsible for soliciting feedback from attorneys on MTO’s direction for the future and leadership. “Being able to take a leadership role during this process and serve as the voice of our associates—and see our views taken seriously—demonstrated the firm’s continued commitment to treating associates with the same importance as partners when it comes to making critical decisions.”

Mr. Brian previously served as Managing Partner and was the first person to be elected as Firm Chair in the firm’s history. Mr. Brian has been with MTO since 1981 and joined after serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Mr. Brian is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and was recently named one of 18 Lawyers of the Decade in California by the Daily Journal.

Both Mr. Heinicke and Ms. Chen started their careers at MTO as summer associates and have been with the firm since 1998 and 2005, respectively. Mr. Heinicke and Ms. Chen are both first-generation Americans. Mr. Heinicke has been recognized as one of the Top Labor and Employment Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal for 13 consecutive years. Mr. Heinicke is the first San Francisco based partner to serve in this role. 

Ms. Chen has been named one of the Top Women Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal for four consecutive years and named “Managing Partner of the Year” by Corporate Counsel. Ms. Chen, the firm’s second female managing partner, is one of only a handful of women serving as managing partner for a top ranked law firm. Since 2019, their tenures as Firm Chair and Co-Managing Partners have been characterized by a commitment to preserving the firm’s distinctive approach.

“Over the past 60 years, we have been fortunate to build an unparalleled reputation with our clients,” said Mr. Brian. “This is because we have stayed focused on preserving the principles that date back to our firm’s inception in 1962: we help clients with their most challenging matters; we hire lawyers of unimpeachable integrity; and we provide our lawyers with early opportunities for leadership and a shorter path to partnership.”

Under their tenure, MTO has remained a leader in diversity hiring, retention and promotion. The firm has continued to make great strides in pro bono work, volunteerism and philanthropy. Since 2019, MTO has devoted more than 100,000 attorney hours to pro bono matters, donated nearly $5 million to organizations in support of human rights matters and launched a task force focused on combatting racial injustice.

The firm reported record revenue and profits during their prior term. During this time period, the firm expanded its presence in Washington, D.C. and grew its crisis and white collar practices with the addition of John Berry, Robyn Bacon, Jonathan Kravis,Ashley Aull and Lauren Bell.

“Brad, Hailyn and Malcolm led our firm to achieve record results while prioritizing our colleagues’ wellbeing during the pandemic,” said partner and firm General Counsel Stuart Senator, a member of the Management Committee. “They have strengthened the firm’s already-strong foundation, creating momentum for continued growth in their second terms.  We look forward to further advancing the interests of our clients and our communities.” 

As Mr. Brian, Ms. Chen and Mr. Heinicke begin their renewed terms, they will continue to maintain their full time law practices. 

“Being a firm leader requires a deep understanding of what is important to both clients and our colleagues in order to bring the firm into synchronicity,” said Ms. Chen. 

Mr. Heinicke added, “there is no better way to develop this understanding than practicing shoulder-to-shoulder with our exceptional clients and colleagues.”