K&L Gates Announces New Leadership Team

Firm Appoints Stacy Ackermann as New Global Managing Partner and Rick Giovannelli as Co-Chair of Management Committee

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP announced today that Stacy Ackermann has been appointed Global Managing Partner effective July 1. This appointment follows Jim Segerdahl’s decision – communicated to the firm earlier this year – that he would not seek a third term. The firm also announced the appointment of Rick Giovannelli as Co-Chair of the Management Committee alongside current Chair Michael Caccese. Caccese will step down from firm leadership on June 30, 2026, after having served as Chair for nine years, at which point Giovannelli will continue in the Chair role.

Ackermann, who joined K&L Gates in 2012, has served on the firm’s Management Committee for six years, and leads its global Finance practice, where she is highly regarded for advising lenders and other stakeholders in a broad range of financial and credit market transactions. Her experience counselling sophisticated clients and leading large teams through complex matters positions her well to foster collaboration and client service excellence in her new role as Global Managing Partner.

Ackermann said: “It is a privilege to succeed Jim as Global Managing Partner and I’m ready to build upon the solid foundation he helped establish to deliver new opportunities for our global team and clients. I am committed to strengthening our position in the marketplace, developing and empowering our vast array of talent, and exploring new ways to bring value to our client relationships. I am deeply appreciative of the trust placed in me to lead this ambitious firm into its next era.”

Giovannelli has been with the firm since 1996 and presently leads its global Corporate practice, where he focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and financing transactions across a variety of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and technology. He has earned a reputation amongst his peers and clients as not only a trusted strategic advisor, but also as a keen evaluator of markets, trends, and business opportunities. Giovannelli has been a member of the Management Committee since 2014 and has led the firm’s global practice management and industry initiatives since 2021.

Giovannelli remarked: “K&L Gates places our clients at the center of everything that we do while simultaneously fostering a culture of collegiality and opportunity. I am excited to work with Stacy and Mike to build on this legacy while moving boldly forward – in this moment of accelerated global change – to serve and inspire both our clients and our globally-integrated workforce.”

During the last eight-plus years, Segerdahl and Caccese, each of whom will continue as practicing partners at the firm when their terms end, have overseen a period of significant growth, increasing the firm’s ordinary course revenue by 37%. During that same period, the firm has strategically responded to rising global client demand in its core industries by expanding into key markets such as Dublin, Luxembourg, Nashville, and Kansas City.

The Management Committee issued the following statement in appreciation of Segerdahl’s service: “We are grateful for Jim’s tireless dedication to the firm and his unique combination of intuition, empathy, and a powerful drive to succeed. He is not only a determined consensus builder and a steadying hand but also a savvy leader who is fearless in the face of challenges and laser-focused on client success. We are all better off having had him as our Global Managing Partner.”

Segerdahl stated: “It has been an honor to serve as Global Managing Partner of this storied firm. I have had the great pleasure of working closely with Mike, Stacy, and Rick over the years, and I am excited for our next chapter under this dynamic new leadership team.”

Caccese added: “I am grateful to Jim for his visionary leadership over the past eight years and am eager to team up with Stacy and Rick to take our client engagement and collaborative culture to the next level. The future is bright.”