June 9, 2022—John Langan, chair and former managing partner of Barclay Damon LLP, has been honored by the Onondaga County Bar Association (OCBA) with its 2022 Distinguished Lawyer Award. The award was presented to Langan at the OCBA’s 145th Distinguished Lawyer Celebration, June 8, by the Honorable Danielle M. Fogel, OCBA’s immediate past president. Langan was introduced at the ceremony by Connie Cahill, Barclay Damon’s managing partner.
In announcing the award, the OCBA said Langan’s “29-year career at Barclay Damon is marked by his commitment to the extraordinary growth and success of the firm. . . . the transformative impact of the growth strategy created a seamless platform of offices in midsize and major-market cities across the Northeastern US and Toronto.” The announcement noted that during Langan’s tenure as managing partner, the firm grew from 60 attorneys in three offices to nearly 300 attorneys in nine offices and that he oversaw 11 separate firm-to-firm combinations ranging in size from 15 to 60 attorneys as well as other large integrations.
Langan was succeeded as managing partner by Cahill on January 1, 2021, when he became chair. In this role, which reports to Cahill, he focuses on the continued growth of the firm’s major-market offices in New York City, Boston, and New Haven.
Langan said, “I’m deeply honored to receive this award and grateful to both the OCBA and to the attorneys and staff I’ve been so fortunate to call colleagues over the past several decades.” He continued, “Even more than the expansion we’ve seen, I’m most proud of the inclusive and integrated culture we’ve worked together to build and of the strong inroads we’ve made in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender equity.”
Cahill agreed, “John’s legacy and impact on the future of our firm reach far beyond its extraordinary growth to the culture he’s nurtured. Barclay Damon is a firm that embraces change, and under John’s leadership, we learned to see change as an opportunity rather than a threat. This embrace of change includes our commitment to DEI, which is driven by John’s belief, and our firm’s belief, that the best course of action comes from synthesizing the widest array of ideas from the most diverse pool of talent.”
“Embracing change,” Cahill continued, “importantly also extends to the firm’s focus on succession planning and ensuring young people are instrumental in important firm decisions and client work. Their ideas and opinions are heard and acted on, and they are sought out for leadership roles.”
Soon after joining Hiscock & Barclay as a trial attorney in 1993—the firm’s name changed to Barclay Damon in 2015 after a major combination—Langan became part of a small management team that is widely credited with saving the firm from potential collapse after losing a key client due to a merger. After becoming managing partner in 2001, Langan worked hard with others at the firm to create its unwavering culture centered on transparency; service to others, in particular through the firm’s award-winning pro bono program; and making diversity, equity, and inclusion a keystone of firm planning and operations.
Looking forward, Cahill said, “John has created an environment where we all share a common optimism and faith in the firm’s direction and our future.” She added, “We’re all thrilled the OCBA selected John to receive its 2022 Distinguished Lawyer Award. It truly is a well-earned and well-deserved honor.”
Barclay Damon attorneys team across offices and practices to provide customized, targeted solutions grounded in industry knowledge and a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses. With nearly 300 attorneys, Barclay Damon is a leading law firm that operates from a strategic platform of offices located in the Northeastern United States and Toronto. For more information, visit the firm’s award-winning website at barclaydamon.com.