Atty. Louise Wells named 1st female managing partner at Morris, Manning & Martin

Saudek, who also is one of its founders, will step down at the end of the year.

Morris, Manning has 154 attorneys in several U.S. cities including Atlanta, Savannah and Washington, and overseas offices in Beijing and Taipei, Taiwan. The firm is Atlanta’s eighth-largest with 2008 revenue of $100 million.

As part of the overall succession plan, Morris, Manning created an executive committee comprised of litigation partner John P. MacNaughton, corporate partner David M. Calhoun and real estate partner Thomas S. Gryboski.

The three will work with Wells and share in some management responsibilities.

Some major area firms have women managing partners of their Atlanta offices — Lizanne Thomas of Jones Day and Maggie Joslin at McKenna Long & Aldridge, for example. Wells will oversee Morris, Manning’s entire operations.

Nationally, Wells, an Emory Law School graduate, joins a small cadre of women managing partners. A 2007 study by the National Association of Women Lawyers found only 8 percent of women were managing partners at U.S. firms. Women make up 32 percent of the more than 1.26 million lawyers in the United States, according to the American Bar Association.

While acknowledging the significance of her promotion, Wells said the initiatives she and the executive committee undertake will be how success will be measured.

“I feel great about being the first female managing partner; it’s quite a responsibility,” Wells, 54, said. “I’m sure the team will be judged on its merits.”