David A. McManus
David A. McManus is Chair of the firm—leading the global strategy of more than 4,000 lawyers, specialists, and professional staff serving clients across four continents. With more than 30 years practicing at Morgan Lewis, David served in several senior leadership roles before becoming Chair, including on the firm’s Advisory Board and Compensation Committee and as leader of its global labor and employment practice. As Chair, he works across industries and geographies to ensure that clients are fully supported across the firm’s global interdisciplinary platform to their most significant needs.
In his practice, David counsels employers through their most consequential workplace moments—crises, high-stakes transactions, and leadership changes that shape the future of their organizations—and advises on strategy in significant corporate transactions. His transactional practice is global in scope with frequent focus on cross-border transactions where clients rely on his practical and business-oriented guidance. His experience advising organizations and their leaders through periods of significant change and complexity brings a valuable perspective to his role as Chair.
Clients have turned to David for counsel on confidential and highly sensitive C-suite matters, including the hiring and dismissal of senior executives and managers, as well as for guidance in managing crises that pose significant reputational and financial risk—including sexual harassment and discrimination claims, financial impropriety, and governance issues.
Under David's leadership, the firm’s labor and employment practice has been recognized seven times as Law360’s Employment Practice Group of the Year and has received numerous additional industry distinctions. Individually, David has earned numerous accolades, including being ranked by Chambers USA and The Legal 500, recognized as a Go-To Lawyer in Employment by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, and being inducted as a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
