Capturing more than 100 years of history in one 300-page book is no small task. In fact, work on White & Case – The First 100 Years and Beyond began about 18 years ago and has involved a massive amount of work.

“I hope this book inspires people across the Firm to shape the next chapter of our history.”
DUANE WALL, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“Putting this book together has been an adventure,” explains Editor-in-Chief and former Chairman Duane Wall.

“It’s been a long journey – one that began when former Chairman Jim Hurlock first suggested the idea back in 1998, culminating in the launch in May this year.

“Over those years there have been countless contributors, several changes of direction and a few bumps in the road, but the end result is a comprehensive history of the Firm of which I think we can all be proud. My heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.”

Producing the book was a labor of love, including countless hours of research, writing, interviews, fact-checking, layout and design work, editing, proofreading and production management. But it was all worth the effort!

Duane says: “One of the highlights of putting the book together was getting to meet a few of the relatives of DuPratt White and George Case, two of whom attended the book’s launch event in New York on May 1.

“One of these was White’s great-great-granddaughter, Rebecca Taylor, who allowed us to photograph a trophy that was presented to White in 1917 by officers of Bankers Trust Company, now Deutsche Bank.

“The other was Case’s great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Jennings, who gave the Firm a swan figurine that he gave to her mother at a family gathering. It was a touching story, so we chose to feature it on the last page of the book.

“As described on page 118 of the book, we were also given George Case’s old office desk, which is now in the reading room of the library at our new office in New York.”

Though the focus of the book is clearly on the past, the ‘and beyond’ of the title reveals its relevance to the new generation of talent across the Firm.

“More than anything, I hope this book inspires people across the Firm to shape the next chapter of our history, having seen where we’ve come from and what we’ve achieved,” says Duane.

“People have asked me which chapter of the book I like best. I like them all, and I think everyone else will as well, but I consider Chapters 1 and 10 as required reading. Those chapters illustrate that founding partners Justin DuPratt White and George Case were not only outstanding lawyers, but also inspirational leaders who instilled a unique culture into the Firm that has survived through the generations.

“Like DuPratt and George Case, our lawyers today are talented, entrepreneurial, dedicated to client service, collegial, collaborative, civic-minded, and good stewards of the Firm who want to pass down to the next generation an even better firm than the one passed down to them. As long as our lawyers have these qualities and remain faithful to these principles, the future of the Firm is secure.”