Debevoise & Plimpton LLP announces that partner Jon Lewis has been named chair of the firm’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group. Larry Cagney, who has served as chair since 2003 and as co-chair for several years before that, continues as a senior partner in the practice.

“Larry has significantly expanded the capabilities and client base of the group during his years as chair, building it into a standalone, full service practice that is preeminent in its field. We thank him for his leadership and look forward to his continued contributions to our clients and the firm,” said Presiding Partner Michael Blair. “At the same time, we welcome Jon to this new role, which reflects our deep bench of senior talent and our full confidence that he will continue the group’s strong track record of delivering outstanding outcomes for our clients.”

Known for its commercial orientation, tailored approach and full service offering, the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group practices at the intersection of corporate governance, securities laws, tax, ERISA and an intricate matrix of labor and employment regimes, and it does so while grappling with some of the most sensitive and important issues in major corporate transactions and executive compensation. Its lawyers devise compensation plans and programs for public and private companies, assist with related SEC reporting requirements and tax issues, and structure employment terms for senior executives, and can advise a company’s CEO, CFO, general counsel and talent executives on all aspects of their compensation programs.

Mr. Lewis’s practice encompasses a broad range of executive compensation, employee benefits and human resources matters. He received his B.A. from Harvard College in 1990 and his J.D. with high honors from The George Washington University Law School in 1994. Mr. Lewis served as a law clerk to the Hon. Stewart Dalzell in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 1994 to 1996.