Manatt is thrilled to announce that Donna L. Wilson has officially assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner. Elected to the role last June, Wilson succeeds Bill Quicksilver, who will now transition to CEO and Managing Partner Emeritus after leading the firm since 2007. Since Wilson’s election 12 months ago, she has worked closely with Quicksilver to execute a purposeful, strategic transition. As Wilson officially steps into this new role, the firm is proud to have a leader who works tirelessly to innovate, propelling the firm forward and enriching its already distinctive culture.
Nationally recognized as one of the nation’s top privacy and data security lawyers, Wilson co-leads the privacy and cybersecurity practice alongside Scott T. Lashway, who joined the firm in June to help launch its Boston office. She is known for her high-profile, bet-the-company representation of clients facing litigation and government enforcement actions, with a focus on both the consumer financial services and privacy and data security spaces. Most recently, Wilson was selected as one of the Top 20 Cyber/Artificial Intelligence Lawyers and one of the Top 100 Women Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal, and one of the Most Influential Women Lawyers in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal. She is a longtime advocate for diversity and inclusion and a member of the LGBTQ community.
Under Quicksilver’s leadership, Manatt transitioned from a top law firm to an industry-leading, integrated professional services firm. This distinctive approach allows the firm to provide clients with a truly comprehensive suite of legal and consulting services throughout a variety of industries, including entertainment, healthcare, digital and technology, financial services, real estate and energy.
Over the past year, Wilson and Quicksilver have worked together closely to accelerate Manatt’s growth plans and attract a diverse pool of top-tier talent across multiple industries and professional service offerings. The firm has welcomed professionals in various practice areas, including government and regulatory professionals Armand Feliciano, Suzanne Rich Folsom and Robert T. Garretson; antitrust and competition senior counsel Brian C. Mohr; employment and labor partner Brian J. Turoff; consumer protection, advertising and competition partner Po Yi; digital and technology professionals Kaylee Cox Bankston, Eric P. Bergner, Scott T. Lashway and Lisa Suennen; energy, environmental and real estate professionals David C. Smith and Mark A. Wiesenthal; entertainment professionals Neil J. Sacker and Monika A. Tashman; financial services professionals Jan Owen and Scott M. Pearson; and health professionals Keith R. Anderson, Meghan K. McNamara, Linda S. Moroney. It also announced several leadership changes, including the appointments of Harvey L. Rochman as the Los Angeles office partner and Prana A. Topper as the New York office partner.
Wilson earned a B.A. from the George Washington University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia, where she served on the managing board and as an editor of the Virginia Law Review. After law school, she clerked for the late Honorable David R. Thompson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Diego, as well as for the late Honorable Stanley S. Brotman of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.