As a former entrepreneur and business owner, Paul understands exactly what matters to clients and has seen firsthand how great attorneys and great law firms can deliver superior outcomes for clients.
Before assuming executive leadership positions in the legal industry, Paul spent 20 years as a founder and CEO in the tech world, regularly hiring law firms and working closely with attorneys to achieve his own companies’ ambitious goals. His experiences made him acutely aware of what it takes to solve client challenges, and he instinctively grasped the need for attorneys to understand the industries their clients operate in.
With Paul at the helm since 2018, Husch Blackwell is unusual among many firms of its size: here, businesspeople are given the latitude to run the firm and are held accountable for results. Paul has installed a C-Suite focused on the client experience, talent, growth, state-of-the-art technology, and operational excellence. He and his team have built a purposeful platform on which lawyers can practice at the highest level unencumbered by the day-to-day concerns of the business—and under Paul’s leadership, the firm has enjoyed an incredible five-year growth trajectory.
Paul enjoys working shoulder to shoulder with Husch Blackwell attorneys, ensuring that they have the resources needed to help clients advance their business goals. With a strong belief that careful listening is an important part of leadership, he prioritizes hearing the ideas and views of the firm’s attorneys, who in turn know the importance of listening to clients to better understand their problems and perspectives—and help them succeed.
Gregg N. Sofer becomes the latest high-profile arrival for Husch Blackwell’s White Collar, Internal Investigations & Compliance practice group.
Husch Blackwell has committed to taking on between 100,000 and 120,000 square feet of space in Commerce Bank Tower. The firm will relocate its main St. Louis-area office to Commerce Bank Tower once construction is completed.
"This is just a great concept and I hope more firms embrace this sort of thing," Benefield said. "It gives me an opportunity to join a law firm as reputable and amazing as Husch Blackwell without having to pick up and move my family across the country to one of their offices."
Husch Blackwell’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria resulted in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.
Robert Eckels, Arturo Michel and Sandy Hellums-Gomez join the Houston office of Husch Blackwell.
Husch Blackwell has signed on to take the Well-Being Pledge, part of a campaign by an American Bar Association working group to improve the substance use and mental health landscape of the legal profession.
Paul’s wife, 10 children and three grandchildren are the core of his personal life.
Paul enjoys family time, both the daily routine and the special occasions when they can all be together. Other favorite ways to relax are playing golf and, when in Canada with friends from the firm, catching sizable fish.
Paul’s efforts on behalf of his city reflect the precepts of his Jesuit education: striving for excellence, educational opportunity, justice and care for the poor.
An able fundraiser, he has led significant capital campaigns for a homeless shelter and the performing arts. He also works to support educational institutions that provide college-prep education for urban children.