Squire Patton Boggs is pleased to announce that Michele L. Connell has been appointed managing partner of the firm’s Cleveland office. The managing partner role transitions to Ms. Connell from David S. Goodman, who served as the Cleveland office managing partner for the past nine years and will now focus his attention more exclusively on his public finance practice. They will serve as co-managing partners until March 2016, at which time Ms. Connell will become the managing partner.
“In the years that I have known Michele, she has proven to be an exceptional lawyer and a highly regarded, natural leader whose experience, integrity and commitment to the community will continue our firm’s storied history in Cleveland,” said Mark J. Ruehlmann, Chairman and Global CEO of Squire Patton Boggs. “It is with deep respect and admiration that I thank David for his service to the firm. He has guided one of our largest offices through a tremendous period of growth for our firm, while also continuing our great legacy of civic responsibility.”
A member of the Squire Patton Boggs Global Corporate Practice, Ms. Connell is the coordinator for the firm’s Great Lakes Business Initiative and a member of the firm’s Latin America Executive Committee. Having completed transactions in more than 20 countries, she concentrates her practice on international mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, compliance and securities law matters.
Ms. Connell exemplifies a strong sense of civic duty and is an advocate for the advancement of women in the workplace. She serves on the board of directors of University Circle Inc. and Towards Employment, an organization that empowers and trains individuals to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency through employment. She is a member of United Way of Greater Cleveland’s Women’s Leadership Council and serves as Chair of the Case Western Reserve Women’s Law & Leadership Conference. Prior to attending law school, she was a foreign service officer with the US Department of State, serving as a diplomat in Warsaw, Poland and Tegucigalpa, Honduras where she received the Meritorious Honor Award from the US government for her service.
“Under David’s guidance our Cleveland office has maintained its traditionally strong commitment to civic engagement while remaining a critical hub within our firm’s expanding global platform,” said Ms. Connell. “I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge and carrying forward a great legacy at this exciting period in the history of our firm.”
Mr. Goodman assumed the role of the Cleveland office managing partner position in 2007, after previously serving as co-leader of the firm’s nationally prominent Public Finance Practice. In June 2013, David became chair of the board of Playhouse Square Foundation, on which he has served since 2007. From 2006 through 2012 David served on the board of The George Gund Foundation, the largest private foundation in Ohio. He co-chaired the 2010-11 United Way of Greater Cleveland's campaign and serves on its board.
“Throughout Michele’s career, she has proven to be the embodiment of so many of the qualities that we hold up as important within our firm,” said Mr. Goodman. “Her leadership, judgement, global perspective, and commitment to service make her an excellent choice for this role.”