The global law firm Jones Day is pleased to announce that Kevyn D. Orr, who recently served as the Emergency Manager for the City of Detroit, is returning to the Firm on May 1, 2015, as a partner in its Business Restructuring & Reorganization Practice and as the Partner-in-Charge (PIC) of its Washington Office. Mr. Orr succeeds Gregory M. Shumaker, who has served as the PIC of the Washington Office since 2011, and who will become the leader of Jones Day’s Global Disputes Practice.
As the Emergency Manager of Detroit, Mr. Orr led that city through the largest municipal bankruptcy ever filed. As The Detroit News reported, Governor Rick Snyder “won the lottery when he found Kevyn Orr to carry out his restructuring blueprint for Detroit,” adding that Mr. Orr had “the right mix of brains, charm, compassion and persistence to deftly pull off the imposing task of working the many levers of a complicated bankruptcy.”
Judge Steven Rhodes similarly made note of Mr. Orr’s contribution in November 2014 when confirming the City’s Plan of Adjustment: “And here I want to single out Kevyn Orr for special recognition and appreciation. His task was perhaps the most challenging of all of us. Yet he met that challenge with skill, determination and commitment, and at great personal sacrifice. I hope that someday soon, this City will recognize the singular contribution that he made to its fresh start and give him the credit he truly deserves.”
“The Detroit News got it exactly right in its description of Kevyn’s talents, both substantive and interpersonal; and Judge Rhodes got it exactly right in his description of the enormous challenges that Kevyn faced, the sacrifices that he made, and the recognition that he deserves,” said Steve Brogan, Managing Partner of Jones Day. “Simply put, we are proud both of what Kevyn has accomplished and of our Firm’s contributions to the regeneration of one of America’s great, historic cities. With Kevyn’s return, our clients, the Washington Office, and the Firm can now again benefit from the judgment, steadiness, and talent that Kevyn showed in Detroit.”
Before being appointed by Governor Snyder in March 2013 to lead Detroit through its historic restructuring, Mr. Orr was a partner in Jones Day’s Washington Office for 12 years, having joined in 2001. Mr. Orr played prominent roles in such important matters as the Chrysler and Anthracite bankruptcies, and also served on the Firm’s Advisory Committee, as the Firmwide Partner for Hiring and Diversity, and as a Jones Day Foundation trustee.
Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Mr. Orr began his legal career in private practice in Miami, then served as Senior Counsel at the FDIC; as Assistant General Counsel for Complex Litigation and Bankruptcy for the Resolution Trust Corporation, where he was the chief lawyer responsible for the agency’s participation in the Whitewater Investigation; and as Deputy Director and, later, as Director of the United States Trustee Program.
Mr. Orr earned his J.D. and B.A. degrees from the University of Michigan, and has been recognized multiple times as a leader in the profession: as one of the “50 Great Leaders” by Fortune magazine, 100 “America’s Most Influential Lawyers” by The National Law Journal, by Chambers USA, Washingtonian magazine, and by Best Lawyers as one of the “Best Attorneys in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.”
Mr. Orr’s predecessor as Partner-in-Charge of the Washington Office, Mr. Shumaker, has been at Jones Day for nearly 30 years. Mr. Shumaker’s practice focuses on complex civil and bankruptcy litigation, and criminal, regulatory, and congressional investigations. He has represented corporations in a wide array of matters, ranging from corporate governance disputes and toxic tort litigation to sensitive internal investigations involving allegations of fraud and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and False Claims Act. During his tenure as leader of the Washington Office, it grew to become the largest office in the Firm, achieving record revenue and historic profits. Mr. Shumaker has served on the Firm’s Advisory Committee since 2004 and now serves as its vice chair. Mr. Shumaker has been on the Firm’s Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement Committee since 2007 and he is a trustee of the Jones Day Foundation.
A graduate of Notre Dame Law School and Brown University, Mr. Shumaker has been a member of the board of directors of the Notre Dame Law Association since 2002, serving as its president in 2008-2009. He also has served as an instructor at Notre Dame Law School’s Interim Trial Advocacy Program.
Source: www.jonesday.com
