John Hurley

Background

About John Hurley

I am a business executive with more than 30 years of business development, marketing, and operations experience in the legal, management consulting and technology industries. As Chief Operating Officer of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, I led and prepared the senior management team for a merger process while overseeing operations, finance, risk management, information technology, security, business development, revenue growth, office administration, real estate, procurement, human resources, and talent management for a firm comprising over 450 business professionals. Waller successfully completed a merger with Holland & Knight, LLP in March 2023. Prior to Waller, I was Chief Operating Officer of AmLaw 50 firm Foley & Lardner, LLP, where I oversaw global business operations, strategy, finance, risk management, information technology, security, business development, office administration, real estate, procurement, human resources, and talent management for a firm comprising over attorneys. I am an empathetic and team-orientated leader who believes success comes through active and constant collaboration which encourages and empowers teams to take ownership, try new ideas, and work together to deliver desired goals and objectives. Through this leadership approach, I was able to deliver three of the Foley & Lardner's most profitable years and the successful merger and integration of Texas-based Gardere Winn & Sewell. As Foley’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), I fostered a high-performance, client-focused culture by collaborating with partners and firm leadership to deliver service excellence through comprehensive understanding of firm’s clients, market needs, market trends which enabled the firm to grow demand with current clients and develop new relationships in targeted industry sectors. From 2005 to 2015, I held management positions with DLA Piper, including as their Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) where I developed and implemented the firm’s US business development growth plan. My team delivered multi-million-dollar revenue growth by serving as a coach to lawyers, providing support, training and techniques across a global client base in collaboration with firm and practice leadership. My areas of expertise include Customer Service Excellence, Diverse Team Building & Leadership, Financial Management & Planning, Business Development, Risk Assessment & Mitigation, Data Analysis, Operations Management, Strategic Planning & Execution, Revenue Growth & Optimization, and Relationship Building.