One Iowa board chair leads collaborative effort at Davis Brown
Imagine this business: The leader is elected. Committees make most of the decisions. Lawyers run the place.
Sound more like Congress than commerce? Perhaps. But Sharon Malheiro says the formula works for the Davis Brown law firm.
"The way we govern ourselves is an anomaly for a larger law firm," said Malheiro, the firm's president. "What sets us apart is our desire for consensus, and it keeps us cohesive."
As president, Malheiro leads a voting board of five members elected by senior shareholders. Other major law firms have a managing partner or more direct leadership structure.
"Some firms essentially have a benign dictatorship, ranging toward a more corporate style of governance," said Alan R. Olson of Altman Weil, which provides management consulting services to law firms, including Davis Brown.
Malheiro said Davis Brown's style creates a collegial and productive place to work at one of the largest law firms in the state.
