Maintaining the firm’s longstanding practice of rotating key leadership positions, McGuireWoods has appointed new office managing partners in Richmond, Norfolk and Raleigh. The leadership changes take effect in December.
Janet Peyton has been named office managing partner in Richmond. She succeeds Michael Herring, who will become chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Department in January 2024. Peyton provides worldwide brand protection, enforcement, licensing and transactional IP services, and she advises clients on preventive data security as well as on compliance issues in the aftermath of a data breach.
Richard Cromwell is the new office managing partner in Norfolk, succeeding longtime OMP John Padgett. Cromwell focuses on complex civil litigation, including business and contract disputes, bankruptcy adversary proceedings, product liability, toxic torts, and fiduciary and estate matters. He has taken more than 100 cases to verdict in federal and state courts, including many in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
In Raleigh, Elizabeth Zwickert Timmermans succeeds Mary Nash Rusher as OMP. Timmermans is a commercial litigator who represents clients in high-stakes lawsuits nationwide, including complex class actions and multijurisdiction derivative litigation. She also represents businesses and individuals in administrative law proceedings and land use issues, such as zoning and coastal setback disputes. Timmermans sits on the firm’s finance committee and has served as a pro bono leader in the Raleigh office.
“We are delighted that Janet, Rich and Elizabeth are taking on these important leadership roles that are crucial to the firm’s success,” said managing partner J. Tracy Walker IV. “We are grateful to Mike, John and Mary Nash for all they have done to foster collegiality in our offices and represent the firm in their communities.”