Beinecke on Crain's "Most Influential" List
Candace Beinecke was named one of the “100 Most Influential Women in NYC Business” by Crain’s New York Business. She was one of only three lawyers on the list (the others are Sheila Birnbaum of Skadden and Faiza Saeed of Cravath), which represents the arts, finance, media, real estate and professional services fields, among others.
To compile the list, Crain’s considered professional biographies and accomplishments, as well as how many people the individuals supervise and how much revenue they generate. “They recognize the extraordinary importance of managing expectations and setting realistic goals,” wrote Jill Kaplan, Crain’s publisher, of the women on the list. “They have chosen paths that have provided them with self fulfillment in whatever way they have defined it.”
The following is the full text of Beinecke’s entry on the list:
BALANCING ACT AT TOP LAW FIRM
Candace Beinecke: Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Long before Candace Beinecke became chair of Hughes Hubbard & Reed, her mother knew that she’d become a lawyer: She argued too much as a kid.
Ms. Beinecke, 60, was a pioneer in her field. She was a corporate lawyer during the 1970s, a time when clients thought nothing of dropping a firm that put “girls” on their legal teams. She was appointed chair of Hughes Hubbard in 1999, making her the first female chair of a major New York law firm.
Throughout her career, she has earned respect from combative and sometimes outright sexist male lawyers, while maintaining her firm’s independence in an era of consolidation. It’s been a balancing act.
“I think my greatest skill is being able to do tough things without breaking a lot of glass,” she says.
During Ms. Beinecke’s tenure, Hughes Hubbard has ranked among the top law firms in the country for its corporate practices and diversity hiring, while profits per partner have increased 19% each year on average.
Ms. Beinecke also serves on a number of boards. She’s chairman of $35 billion investment fund First Eagle Funds, a director of transportation and energy firm Alstom and a vice chair of the Partnership for New York City.