PHILADELPHIA, October 6, 2025—Philip E. Ross has joined Duane Morris LLP as executive director, working with the firm’s administrative functions. Ross will collaborate with Chief Operating Officer Charles J. O’Donnell and the firm’s management team to prepare for his transition to COO when O’Donnell retires in 2027.
Ross joins Duane Morris from Clark Hill PLC, where he served as COO starting in 2002. His strong track record includes overseeing 19 years of continuous revenue growth, 27 domestic and international office openings, and eightfold attorney headcount growth in just over two decades. He has extensive experience managing key operational functions, including finance, marketing, human resources, information technology and facilities management. His role also involved close collaboration with the firm’s executive committee and practice group leaders on topics such as strategic planning and practice management.
“We’re excited to welcome Phil to Duane Morris at such a crucial moment of transition for our firm,” said Duane Morris Chairman and CEO Matthew A. Taylor. “Charles embodies the best of Duane Morris. It’s simply impossible to quantify his contributions over 44 years with the firm and the lasting impact his leadership and vision will have. Phil will have enormous shoes to fill, but we appreciate that his experience overseeing a growing law firm makes him a very worthy successor and will ensure continuity.”
O’Donnell will be retiring in 2027 after more than four decades at Duane Morris, beginning in 1981 when he became the first full-time employee of what is now the Tax Accounting Group. He became the firm’s controller and chief financial officer in 1983 and then executive director and chief operating officer in 1995, advising six of the firm’s nine chairs throughout his leadership tenure. O’Donnell helped to grow the firm’s geographic footprint and reputation for client service-driven collaboration, opening 22 offices in the U.S., Asia and London, as well as expanding the firm’s headcount from approximately 100 lawyers to more than 900. He has also been instrumental in the firm’s rise into the AmLaw 100, including the last 16 straight years of growth resulting in $694 million in 2024 revenue.
Before entering the legal industry, Ross was the regional director of operations for Deloitte Consulting, where he worked with the regional managing director to achieve $500 million in revenue and oversee more than 2,000 employees. He received an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business and a B.A. from Harvard University.
“I’m honored to join Duane Morris, a firm I’ve long admired with a dedication to client service, innovation and collegiality that mirrors my own,” said Ross. “It’s a special privilege to work alongside my friend Charles and to be entrusted to succeed him.”
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 900 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries. Duane Morris has been recognized by BTI Consulting as both a client service leader and a highly recommended law firm.
