Content area
Full text
The two most prominent law firms in Milwaukee now have female managing partners leading the local offices.
Nancy Sennett, a corporate securities lawyer, was named managing partner Oct. 11 at Foley & Lardner, Milwaukee's largest firm. She replaces Mice Payne, who has been named president 'of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Ann Murphy was named managing partner at Quarles & Brady Oct. 1. Murphy, a transactional lawyer, specializes in taxexempt finance and guidance commercial lending at Quarles, the city's second-largest firm.
Murphy and Sennett are 23-year veterans at their respective firms. Both served on their firms' management committees prior to their recent appointments.
Prior to Murphy's appointment, Quarles & Brady did not have a managing partner at its Milwaukee office. The office was run by the management committee.
"It takes somebody very tactful and independent to manage a group of strong-minded people like lawyers," said Pat Ballman, a Quarles & Brady partner, who is also president of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
One of the top priorities for Murphy and Sennett as managing partners is to increase the ethnic and gender diversity of their firms.
"I will aggressively pursue diversity from this office," said Sennett, who officially takes over for Payne Oct. 31. Payne was the only African-American partner at Foley's 250-lawyer Milwaukee office.
"Because I am a woman, it will be easy for me to...