Jami McKeon
Jami McKeon is the Chair of Morgan Lewis, providing strategic direction to one of the largest law firms in the world led by a woman. Under her leadership, Morgan Lewis has grown into one of the principal global providers of legal services, assisting clients throughout the United States, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
The firm’s expansive-but-targeted growth under Jami’s leadership is grounded in a core tenet of Jami’s philosophy—to deliver clients the finest possible service, wherever and whenever it’s needed—through a collaborative commitment that is reflected in the firm’s longstanding tenet that “there is nothing we can’t achieve together as long as no one cares who gets the credit.” Shortly after Jami was elected Chair in 2014, she led the firm’s strategic and high-profile combination with Bingham McCutchen that welcomed 750+ lawyers and staff. Jami’s tenure has been defined by sustained global growth since that time—including the opening of new offices in Munich and Seattle, new or expanded offices in China and Japan, the launch of an Abu Dhabi office and expanded services in Dubai, and significantly expanded talent and capabilities in the firm’s Paris office. All of this has occurred alongside the steady pulse of lateral growth targeting practices and geographies that better serve the firm’s clients—including more than 50 lateral partner hires in 2024 across North America, Asia, and Europe.
The first woman chair in Morgan Lewis’s 150+-year history, Jami is the architect of trailblazing initiatives earning Morgan Lewis its reputation as one of the most well-rounded and forward-thinking law firms in the world—including consecutive years in the coveted top-5 spot on The American Lawyer’s prestigious A-List and 23 consecutive years on BTI Consulting Group’s elite Client Service 30.
Among the most sweeping and impactful initiatives under Jami’s leadership was her establishment of a cross-functional AI & Knowledge Management team that galvanized the firm’s development and utilization of state-of-the-art technology, which has led to the cultivation of proprietary tech tools and a strategic partnership with Thomson Reuters to forge GenAI solutions that will define the legal industry of the future.
Jami was also pivotal in shaping the firm’s unique Engagement Model that encompasses well-being, inclusion, pro bono, community engagement, and sustainability, along with market-leading initiatives such as ML Well, a holistic program promoting intellectual, physical, emotional, and occupational well-being. Beyond these meaningful efforts, she founded the firm’s women’s initiative, ML Women, and launched the award-winning Mobilizing for Equality initiative focused on achieving justice in society and the legal profession. Morgan Lewis’s commitment to pro bono has also flourished under Jami’s leadership, for years garnering 100% lawyer participation and earning the firm accolades such as #1 for Breadth of Commitment on The American Lawyer’s Pro Bono Scorecard and #1 among the Best Law Firms for Pro Bono from Vault.
Jami is a frequent speaker and active in community service organizations, including service on the board of directors for Equal Justice Works, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Orchestra Kimmel Center. She is also a member of the advisory board of the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession, the Penn Carey Law Board of Advisors, and the Utah Royals Football Club.
Among numerous personal accolades, Jami has been honored by Financial Times as one of the most consequential law firm leaders of the past two decades, recognizing that she led the firm to “elite law firm status.” Jami has also received the ABA’s Margaret Brent Award, which honors outstanding women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence and paved the way for other women in the legal profession; the American Red Cross Lifetime Achievement Award; the United Way Women’s Leadership Initiative Award; a Special Achievement Award from Financial Times for her innovative approach to Morgan Lewis’s strategic growth; an Innovative Law Firm Leader award from Corporate Counsel; the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s Paradigm Award, for a career of achievement as a woman executive; and is included on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Leaders list.
- Pennsylvania State University, 1978, B.A.
- Villanova University School of Law, 1981, J.D.
- California
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- US Supreme Court
- Numerous Federal District Courts and Courts of Appeal

Listed, Top Lawyers in America, Forbes (2025)
Most Innovative Law Firm Leaders, 20 Years Retrospective Report, Financial Times (2025)
Honoree, Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement, American Bar Association (2025)
Hall of Fame, Lawdragon (2025)
100 Managing Partners You Need to Know, Lawdragon (2025)
Power 100: Philadelphia’s Most Influential Business Leaders, Philadelphia Business Journal (2015–2025)
PA Law Power 100, City & State Pennsylvania (2023)
Philly Power 100, City & State Pennsylvania (2022)
100 Most Influential Philadelphians, Philadelphia Magazine (2022)
Recipient, Law & Society Award, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (2021)
Paradigm Award, Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia (2019)
Take the Lead Honoree, Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (2019)
Innovative Law Firm Leader, National Women in Law Awards, Corporate Counsel and InsideCounsel (2018)
Influencer of Law, The Business Journals (2018)
Champion Award, Pro Bono Partnership (2017)
Business Hall of Fame Icon, The Philadelphia Inquirer (2017)
Client Service All-Star, BTI Consulting Group (2017)
Eminent Practitioner, Litigation: General Commercial, Pennsylvania, Chambers USA (2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023–2025)
Lifetime Achievement Award, The American Red Cross (2015)
Women’s Leadership Initiative Award, United Way (2015)
Innovative Lawyers Special Achievement Award, North America, Financial Times (2015)
75 Most Outstanding Women Lawyers, The National Law Journal (2015)
Attorney of the Year (finalist), The Legal Intelligencer (2015)
Veteran Transformer, Philadelphia Business Journal (2015)
Women of the Year, The Legal Intelligencer (2014)
Women of Distinction, Philadelphia Business Journal (2013)
Top 75 Women Litigators, Daily Journal (2008)
Member, Board of Directors, Equal Justice Works
Member, Board of Directors, Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia
Member, Advisory Board, Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession
Member, Board of Advisors, Penn Carey Law
Member, Advisory Board, Utah Royals Football Club
Member, The American Law Institute (elected 2014)
Member, Advisory Board, Women’s Power Summit on Law & Leadership (2017)
Member, Board of Advisors, Managing Partners Conference (2016–2017)
Member, Board of Trustees, Supreme Court Historical Society
Member, American Bar Association
Member, International Association of Defense Counsel
Member, Board of Directors, Philadelphia Orchestra Kimmel Center
Secretary, Board of Directors, Philadelphia Orchestra Kimmel Center (2015–2016)
Member, Executive Committee, Philadelphia Orchestra Kimmel Center (2015–2016)
Member, Board of Directors, Benchmark School
Member, Advisory Committee, PBI Law Firm Pro Bono Project
Member, Advisory Board, Transforming Women’s Leadership in the Law
Former Chair, Board of Governors, Philadelphia Bar Association
Member, Faculty Advisory Board, Academy of Advocacy
Editorial Board, Villanova Law Review
Member, Order of the Coif
