Therese Pritchard officially stepped into the role of chairwoman at Bryan Cave, Missouri’s largest law firm, on Wednesday. She is the first woman to assume the top post.

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Bryan Cave partners re-elected Don Lents to a second five-year term as chairman. Lents' second term will start in October. Under Lents' leadership, the firm grew revenue from $411 million to $502.5 million in 2008. In January, 220-attorney Atlanta firm Powell Goldstein was added in a merger. The firm now has 1,100 lawyers and other consulting professionals. Lents also has overseen the firm's response to the recession, including the laying off of 58 attorneys and 76 staff members in February, the cutting of associate salaries, and reduction of partner and counsel compensation.

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Citing a deteriorating economy, Bryan Cave is laying off 58 attorneys and 76 staff members firmwide and freezing salaries for 2009. The steps followed efforts throughout 2008 to slash expenses in an attempt to avoid layoffs. "Over the course of the past year, we implemented a number of measures to reduce our costs," Chairman Don Lents said in an e-mail sent firmwide Thursday. "Unfortunately, the economy has continued to deteriorate, and we have concluded that further steps are necessary to adapt to this business climate."

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