Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Senior Chair Mary Jo White has been selected by The New York Law Journal as a 2017 Lifetime Achievement honoree in recognition of her accomplishments and impact on the legal community and the practice of law.

In marking Ms. White’s storied career, longtime friend Sara Moss, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of The Estée Lauder Companies, wrote for The New York Law Journal,

“Whether taking on terrorists, the mob or white-collar criminals as U.S. Attorney, addressing the major issues raised by the financial crisis as Chair of the SEC or guiding clients through ‘bet the company’ legal crises as a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, Mary Jo White has blazed a remarkable trail of achievement and she is still outpacing everyone, working 24/7 and leading Debevoise's strategic crisis response and solutions group.”

Ms. White has devoted decades to prosecuting and defending a wide range of white collar criminal and civil cases, having served as Chair of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and as a well-known private practitioner in high-profile matters.

Continuing her remarkable career, today Ms. White’s practice focuses on counseling boards of directors and representing clients on significant and sensitive matters, including companies facing crises involving multi-faceted government investigations and cases.

Mary Jo White is truly a giant in the legal profession who has forged a groundbreaking career. As observed in The New York Law Journal, “In 1993, she became—and remains—the only woman to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in the 200-plus year storied history of that office. She was the first woman litigation partner at Debevoise and, when she was named the chair of the litigation department in 2002, she was the first woman to hold such a position at a major New York law firm.”

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. We deliver effective solutions to our clients’ most important legal challenges, applying clear commercial judgment and a distinctively collaborative approach.