Husch Blackwell Names Non-Lawyer CEO Who Will Work From Home

Husch Blackwell deepened its unique commitment to work-from-anywhere by naming a chief executive officer whose role for the law firm will be 100% remote.

Jamie Lawless, the firm’s second consecutive CEO without a law degree, takes over in February for Paul Eberle, Husch Blackwell said in a statement Monday.

Lawless will work from her Tampa, Florida home as part of the The Link, a virtual office the firm began began in 2020 that now includes 202 lawyers in 29 states and Washington, DC.

Husch Blackwell sticks out among the 100 largest law operations for its commitment to work-from-anywhere, which the firm said has proven to be a differentiator for recruiting.

The firm’s large rivals have mostly been pressuring lawyers to work from offices at least part of every week, threatening bonus penalties in some cases to persuade them.

Jamie Lawless took over as Husch Blackwell CEO in February.

Photo: Husch Blackwell

Lawless spent 10 years in leadership at Baker McKenzie, most recently in Tampa as the first executive director of the business and alternative legal services. She previously served as vice president at business services provider Swiss Post Solutions.

Her selection reflects Husch Blackwell’s “uncommon approach” to business, Eberle said in the statement, calling Lawless “a leader with business acumen, great listening and communications skills.”

She will share responsibilities with Eberle until the transition takes effect. Eberle, who works out of the firm’s Milwaukee office, was the first AmLaw 100 law firm leader who wasn’t a lawyer by training when he took the role in 2018, according to the firm.

Husch Blackwell, founded in Kansas City, earned $555 million in gross revenue in 2022, according to the most recent AmLaw 200 survey—a 17% boost from the year before.