Munger, Tolles & Olson Elects Homegrown Attorneys as Co-Managing Partners
Former Co-Managing Partner Brad D. Brian Assumes New Chair Role as Part of Leadership Transition
Munger, Tolles & Olson announced on March 6, 2019 that the firm has elected Malcolm A. Heinicke and Hailyn J. Chen, who both began their legal careers as summer associates at the firm, to serve as co-managing partners. As part of the leadership transition, Brad D. Brian, a co-managing partner from 2015-2018, will assume a newly created position of chair.
Mr. Heinicke, the firm’s first San Francisco-based co-managing partner, is a leading labor and employment litigator who has been with the firm since 1998. Ms. Chen, who joined the firm’s Los Angeles office in 2005, focuses her practice on complex litigation and government investigations.
“Malcolm and Hailyn are immensely talented attorneys who embody the values we wish to see in all of our firm’s lawyers,” said Ronald L. Olson, name partner. “They are firm veterans who rose quickly through the ranks by demonstrating an unparalleled understanding of their practice areas and our firm’s culture.”
Mr. Heinicke handles litigation and counseling matters for leading national and California companies, including Wells Fargo, 99¢ Only Stores, Square, GardaWorld and Plains All American. His work has earned him recognition from the Daily Journal as a top labor and employment attorney in California for each of the last 10 years. He served as the 105th president of the Bar Association of San Francisco in 2018 and has also held roles in San Francisco government as the current chair of the board of directors of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the former chair of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.
“I look forward to working with Hailyn to double down on our firm’s core values – providing the best legal work in the profession to our clients and attracting, retaining and promoting the best junior lawyers in the country,” Mr. Heinicke said. “Sharing this managing partner role with my good friend Hailyn will allow us to lead the firm together, while continuing to represent our clients in their most significant matters.”
Ms. Chen’s practice focuses on complex civil litigation and high-profile government and internal investigations. She has represented companies from a broad array of sectors, including Airbnb, Tokyo Electric Power Company, LG Display, and the University of California. The Daily Journal recognized Ms. Chen as one of California’s Top Women Lawyers in 2018. In 2017, she was appointed by the California Supreme Court to the State Bar of California’s governing body, the Board of Trustees. She also co-chairs the ABA Section of Litigation’s Woman Advocate Committee.
“Munger, Tolles & Olson has a proven track record of investing in, supporting and growing the most talented attorneys in the field,” Ms. Chen said. “Malcolm and I are fully committed to carrying on this tradition and providing our clients with second-to-none service.”
Mr. Heinicke and Ms. Chen are both native Californians and first generation Americans.
Mr. Brian is one of the leading trial lawyers in the country. He is the former chair of the ABA Section of Litigation and a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Mr. Brian represents Fortune 500 corporations in their most challenging, high-profile lawsuits and government investigations. For more than 20 years, Mr. Brian has been named to the Daily Journal’s “Top 100” list of lawyers in California. As chair of Munger, Tolles & Olson, Mr. Brian will lead key strategic initiatives, promote the transition of opportunities to more junior lawyers and continue his full-time trial practice.
”I am very proud to be a part of this firm, thrilled to see my friends Malcolm and Hailyn elected, and personally excited to take on my new position guiding key initiatives and promoting our next generations of great lawyers,” Mr. Brian said.
Mr. Heinicke and Mr. Brian began their new roles on March 1. Ms. Chen will assume the role of co-managing partner on May 1, when her term begins.