Ralph Baxter is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, a position he has held since 1990. Under Mr. Baxter’s leadership, Orrick has expanded, diversified and extended its geographic reach, transforming from a domestic firm with California origins to one of the world’s largest and most prominent law firms, with more than 1,100 lawyers in 21 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Selected as one of “The 100 Most Influential Lawyers” by both The National Law Journal and the San Francisco and Los Angeles Daily Journal, Mr. Baxter is a frequent speaker on business leadership and the evolution of the legal profession. He is the founder of Law Firm Leaders Forum, one of the most significant gatherings of law firm leaders, which annually examines the critical issues facing the legal profession. The year 2008 marks the 13th anniversary of the Law Firm Leaders Forum.
Mr. Baxter serves on the Advisory Board of Harvard Law School's Center on Lawyers and the Professional Services Industry.
In 2003, Mr. Baxter was named a California Lawyer of the Year by California Lawyer magazine. Selected in the category of law practice management, Mr. Baxter was recognized for his pioneering decision to consolidate all of the firm’s finance, technology and other operations functions into one dedicated, around-the-clock facility, known as Orrick’s Global Operations Center, in West Virginia. California Lawyer editors wrote that many in the legal profession acknowledge that, “...Orrick’s move has revolutionized conceptions about normal law-firm structures and opened the door to similar projects.”
Mr. Baxter has also led the firm’s efforts to contribute to the communities in which Orrick and its lawyers and staff work and live. He plays an active role in Orrick’s innovative Community Responsibility Program, which he helped create in 2001 to orchestrate the firm’s pro bono legal services, financial support and volunteer efforts. The program ensures that the firm’s resources are strategically organized and deployed to maximize both their community impact and the number of Orrick lawyers and staff who have a chance to participate directly in the firm’s sponsored activities.
Mr. Baxter is active in numerous civic leadership and public interest organizations. He currently serves on the Steering Committee for U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings’ summit “A Test of Leadership - Committing to Advance Post-Secondary Education for All Americans.” In 2006, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin appointed Mr. Baxter co-chair of the 21st Century Jobs Cabinet to help lead efforts to improve education and economic development. Mr. Baxter also serves on the West Virginia Workforce Investment Council as well as on the Board of Directors of The West Virginia Education Alliance, a statewide public education organization whose mission is to create positive, systemic change in public education. In January 2005, he was named “Ambassador of the Year” by West Virginia Executive magazine’s inaugural West Virginia Honor Awards in recognition of his civic and professional achievements.
Mr. Baxter serves on the California Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth. He also served for many years on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Partnership, a group of business and government leaders dedicated to promoting economic growth and development in San Francisco. In November 2005, Mr. Baxter was a member of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Trade Mission to China. In 1997, he was a member of the former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown's Trade Mission to China.
Mr. Baxter is an Executive Committee member of the Dean's Councils at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a member of the Dean's Council of The University of Virginia School of Law.
Prior to his election as Chairman and CEO, Mr. Baxter practiced employment law and led Orrick’s Employment Law practice, which he founded in 1980. He has been recognized as one of the "Nation's Best Litigators in Employment Law" by The National Law Journal. During his years as a practicing lawyer, he lectured and wrote extensively on developments in the law, and testified on employment law issues before the California State Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. He is on the editorial advisory board for the Employee Relations Law Journal.
Prior to his career in the law, Mr. Baxter taught sixth grade at the Scott Montgomery Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
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