Peter Devlin Stepping Down as President and CEO of Fish & Richardson

Fish & Richardson announced today that Peter J. Devlin is stepping down as President and Chief Executive Officer of the firm after 20 impactful years of strategic leadership.

Devlin assumed Fish’s top management role in 2000, and under his leadership the firm has solidified its position as the premier global intellectual property law firm. During his stewardship, Fish expanded its geographic footprint with six new offices, including international expansion into Munich, Germany in 2007 and Shenzhen, China in 2019, while the number of attorneys at the firm doubled. Devlin fostered a culture of innovation and teamwork to lead the industry in offering clients cost savings through fixed and other alternative fee arrangements, strengthened the firm’s financial performance, and positioned the firm for further growth. Quadrupling its revenue over the past 20 years, Fish has ranked on the Am Law 100 list since 2005 and delivered record financial results last year.

During his term, Devlin made strides to broaden the firm’s pro bono program and expand its commitment to diversity. Fish's 1L Diversity Fellowship Program has provided annual fellowships to diverse first-year law students throughout the country for 15 years. Last month, Fish was recognized as a "Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality" by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. In 2019, Fish earned the Diversity Lab's top Mansfield 2.0 Certified Plus designation for successfully considering at least 30 percent diverse lawyer representation in current leadership roles and committees. With Devlin's support, Fish was one of the 26 inaugural law firms to become Mansfield 1.0 Certified Plus and is participating in the current Mansfield 3.0 program. Fish was named a 2019 "Best Law Firms for Women" by Working Mother magazine for the second consecutive year.

Devlin initiated a selection process in early 2019 that resulted in the firm's Nominating and Management Committees unanimously nominating John Adkisson, a principal in the firm's Twin Cities office and an elected member of the firm's Management Committee, to serve as the new President and CEO. The firm's principals will vote on Adkisson's candidacy at the firm's annual meeting on February 20.

"Peter has led our firm for 20 years with judgment, vision and compassion. He is known for his caring and thoughtful approach to issues involving our employees and clients, and we are deeply thankful for his many years of service," said John Hayden, Principal, Management Committee Member and Patent Practice Group Leader. "He leaves some very big shoes to fill, but we are very excited about continuing his legacy of excellence."

Read more about the news in these selected publications:

Law.com (March 13, 2020).