WASHINGTON, D.C., January 20, 2015 – Morgan Lewis is pleased to announce the appointment of partner Elizabeth H. Baird as co-managing partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office effective immediately as the firm – now one of the largest in the world – begins a significant new chapter in 2015. Ms. Baird joins Grace E. Speights in the role.
Ms. Baird concentrates her practice on securities enforcement defense, internal investigations and regulatory counseling. She routinely represents broker-dealers, public companies, investment advisers and individuals in connection with investigations before the SEC, FINRA, and other self-regulatory organizations and government agencies. Having traded municipal bonds on Wall Street for nearly a decade, she has experience with the daily activities and needs of active participants in the securities markets. Ms. Baird joined the firm in November 2014 from Bingham McCutchen, where she served as co-managing partner of the Washington, D.C. office. She earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Ms. Speights is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Labor and Employment Practice, co-chair of the Systemic Litigation Practice, and co-chair of the firm's Diversity Committee. She focuses her practice on counseling and defending clients in connection with employment discrimination claims, primarily those involving class claims, and on counseling clients regarding best practices for corporate diversity initiatives. Ms. Speights has handled many employment discrimination class action cases. She also has defended several cases involving claims of discrimination in public accommodations. In the fall of 2014, Ms. Speights was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers.
“We are thrilled to have Elizabeth join Grace as a leader of our Washington, D.C. office, particularly at such an exciting time for the firm with our enhanced abilities to counsel and serve new and valued clients,” said Firm Chair Jami McKeon. “Morgan Lewis is dedicated to delivering the highest quality results to advance our clients’ legal and business interests – from Washington to Tokyo, London to San Francisco, Silicon Valley to Moscow, and points in between.”
In November, Morgan Lewis welcomed more than 200 partners and nearly 600 other lawyers, legal professionals, and staff from Bingham McCutchen. Morgan Lewis offers clients global access to broad capabilities across a comprehensive spectrum of services and industries addressing virtually every aspect of corporate, financial, and asset management operations.