Butler Snow has announced L. Howard Belknap chief operating officer after an expansive national search. Belknap was previously with Baker & McKenzie, a leading global law firm where he served as COO and executive director of the firm’s New York office. He has more than 30 years of executive leadership and management experience. “Howard has been a leader for our country and a top-notch executive who has helped to lead some of the largest and most successful law firms in the world,” said Don Clark, Jr., chairman, Butler Snow. “We are thrilled to have him join the Butler Snow team and I look forward to working alongside Howard as we set the vision for our firm and implement our strategic plan.”
Belknap served an honorable military career as an Army officer. He held key leadership positions, including strategic planner and speechwriter for former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army J. H. Binford Peay III and Under Secretary of the Army Joe R. Reeder. He also commanded field artillery units in Hawaii and Korea. After retiring from the Army, Belknap began his law firm career in 2002 as director of administration for the New York office of Shaw Pittman, a 400-attorney firm at the time, where he oversaw significant increases in profitability and multi-year business and marketing plans.