Fast-Tracked Podcast Episode 11: Legal industry leaders Brad S. Karp, Chair of Paul, Weiss, and Jami McKeon, Chair of Morgan Lewis, share insights from their impressive careers as long-time leaders of their respective firms and in the broader profession. From making tough decisions on controversial topics of the day to assessing how Generative AI will impact the industry's future, our guests peel back the curtain to reveal how leaders of successful firms build on their strengths to shape the future of practice.
PLI’s Fast-Tracked: Emergent Issues in the Legal Profession podcast, brings you conversations with thought leaders, delving into the most dynamic trends shaping the legal world, from AI to DEI – and everything in between. PLI is proud to keep you ever current with timely programs, publications, and podcasts. Visit pli.edu/ftpod for more episodes.
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Featured in this Episode
Brad S. Karp
Brad S. Karp has been the Chairman of Paul, Weiss since 2008. One of the country’s leading litigators and corporate advisers, Brad has successfully guided numerous Fortune 100 companies, global financial institutions, and individuals through “bet the company” litigations, regulatory matters, internal investigations, and corporate crises. Prior to being named Chairman, he chaired the firm’s Litigation Department. Brad has spent his entire career at Paul, Weiss, where he began as a summer associate.
Brad has received dozens of industry awards and recognitions. He has been selected as the “Attorney of the Year” by the New York Law Journal and by Lawdragon, the “Litigator of the Year” by the American Lawyer and by Benchmark Litigation/Euromoney, and one of the most innovative lawyers in the United States by the Financial Times. Brad received the “Special Achievement Award” from the Financial Times in recognition of his legal achievements and his leadership of Paul, Weiss. He has repeatedly been named by the National Association of Corporate Directors as one of the most influential people in the boardroom and by Crain’s and City & State as one of New York's most influential leaders. The New York Law Journal awarded Brad its first-ever Impact Award, in recognition of his “significant and lasting impact on the legal community in New York.” Brad received the William Nelson Cromwell Award from the New York County Lawyers Association in recognition of his “unselfish service to the profession and the community.”
Brad speaks and writes frequently on business litigation, securities litigation, corporate governance, crisis management, and ESG. He has spoken at more than 700 conferences and has lectured at Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, NYU Law School, Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, Yale School of Management, and The Federal Judicial Center. Brad has written more than 700 articles on business litigation and corporate governance issues. For the past 39 years, he has written a monthly column for the New York Law Journal, “Second Circuit Review,” which analyzes developments in the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Brad is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation.
Brad frequently speaks and writes about pressing issues of social justice and the rule of law. He is active in the community, serving on more than 40 public interest, educational, cultural, and charitable boards.Brad is a 1984 graduate of Harvard Law School.
Featured In This Episode
Jami McKeon
Jami McKeon is the Chair of Morgan Lewis — the largest law firm in the world led by a woman — and a trial lawyer who represents some of the world’s leading banks in regulatory and litigation matters. The first woman chair in the firm’s 150-year history, Jami’s second term was extended by unanimous vote through the end of the 2026 fiscal year. In implementing a strategic approach focused on client needs, she has spearheaded large combinations that have significantly expanded the services of the firm’s 2,000-plus lawyers in 30-plus offices crossing 17 time zones. Under her pioneering leadership, Morgan Lewis has been widely recognized by multiple independent organizations, including BTI Consulting Group, which in 2024 named Morgan Lewis among its elite Client Service 30 for the 23rd consecutive year.
In furthering Jami’s commitment to clients, Morgan Lewis proactively conducts unique and innovative programs to recruit, retain, and mentor elite and diverse talent. This includes industry-leading technological and training initiatives that modernize the way the firm’s lawyers practice law, advancing both clients’ and the firm’s business objectives. By establishing a cross-functional Knowledge Management & Practice Services team, there is a concerted and dedicated focus in developing and utilizing state-of-the-art technology and cultivating strategic partnerships, such as with Thomson Reuters to forge GenAI solutions for the legal industry. Another initiative, SPARK, has successfully solicited innovative proposals from lawyers and staff for value-add services to clients.
Under Jami’s leadership, Morgan Lewis has launched numerous market-leading initiatives, including ML Women, which harnesses the strength of the firm’s women; ML Well, a holistic program that promotes the intellectual, physical, emotional, and occupational well-being of the entire Morgan Lewis family; and Mobilizing for Equality, dedicated to supporting the global movement to achieve racial justice. Jami has received numerous honors for her leadership and accomplishments, and she is a member of several boards, including the Advisory Board of the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession, the Penn Law Board of Advisors, the Board of Directors of Equal Justice Works, and the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. In 2023, Jami was again selected to participate in the Fortune–U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership. The Financial Times honored Jami in 2015 with its Special Achievement Award (North America) for her innovative approach to Morgan Lewis’s strategic growth.
