About

Stoel Rives Extends Managing Partner Melissa Jones's Term Through 2029

Published
Score
14

Why it matters

Stoel Rives, the Portland-based AmLaw 200 firm, voted on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, to keep Melissa Jones as managing partner through the end of 2029. The vote extends her four-year term to six years. Jones, a trial lawyer, has led the firm since 2020 and began her second term on January 1, 2024, which under the earlier arrangement would have run through 2027. She is the second woman in the firm's history to hold the top leadership post. The firm has more than 325 attorneys across 10 offices in eight states and practices in energy, real estate, land use, litigation, and intellectual property.

In a follow-up interview published October 15, Jones said she plans to carry out the firm's strategic plan, which could include expansion. She also named artificial intelligence and keeping the firm a good place to work as priorities. She gave few specifics on the AI approach, and the scope of any expansion has not been detailed publicly. Coverage so far consists of Law360 and the firm's own announcement.

The extension gives the firm continuity as it pursues growth and makes decisions about AI adoption. Attorneys should watch for concrete moves: new office or practice announcements, formal AI policies, and any staffing changes tied to operational modernization. Earlier efforts under a prior managing partner included staff reductions for that purpose, so the operational side of the plan is worth tracking alongside the growth agenda.

Sources

mail Subscribe to Artificial Intelligence email updates

Primary sources. No fluff. Straight to your inbox.

Also on LawSnap