Jack H. Nusbaum

NUSBAUM—Jack H. It is with great sadness that the partners, counsel, associates, and staff of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP mourn the passing of our partner, former Chairman and beloved friend, Jack H. Nusbaum.

Jack remained vibrant and fully involved in the Firm and in living life right up to the moment of his passing. He was starting his 50th year as a partner of Willkie. The Firm and its people meant the world to him, and his contributions to our Firm were unparalleled. He was responsible for building our culture of collegiality, tolerance and equity, and held us to the highest standards both professionally and personally. His many colleagues, clients and friends leaned on him regularly for his great wisdom and good cheer.

Jack was a true senior statesman of the national M&A bar, an expert in corporate governance matters, and the consummate business lawyer whose guidance and judgment has been relied upon by boards of directors and clients in connection with a wide range of business and legal issues. He was a sage advisor and formidable adversary. Among Jack’s many impressive attributes was his ability to maintain patience, determination and perspective. He was a gifted lawyer, manager, and rainmaker who cultivated important clients and worked on matters of great significance.

He lived by, and encouraged others to live by, his “Golden Rules” of being a good lawyer and citizen: understand your client’s needs, fulfill your responsibilities promptly and ethically, have respect for the other side’s position, respect your role in society, and live your life the way you would like your children to live theirs.

A self-described “dyed in the wool Willkie-ite” whose father had briefly worked as an associate at the Firm,

Jack joined Willkie as an accounting clerk in 1962 and worked his way up to associate in 1965 and partner in 1971, eventually becoming Chairman. He served as Willkie’s Chairman from 1987 through 2009, was a major contributor to the Firm’s business, and was instrumental in the evolution of Willkie to what it has become today. Since stepping down as Chairman in January 2010, Jack maintained an active practice counseling clients on a wide range of matters. His sound judgment and voice of wisdom and experience remained sought after and relied upon by our Executive Committee, colleagues and clients.

Jack developed an expertise in advising companies in acquisitions and mergers, and would become involved in the historic merger of NASDAQ with the American Stock Exchange; the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco; and the acquisition of McCaw Cellular Communications by AT&T. He also served as lead counsel on corporate internal investigations including responsibility for the often cited Cendant Report.

Jack was a director of publicly held companies W. R. Berkley Corporation and Cowen Inc. and served as an advisor to the board of Citigroup. He also served as President of The Joseph Collins Foundation. Additionally, Jack was a member of the Legal Advisory Committee to the Board of Directors of the New York Stock Exchange and a member of the Board of Advisors of the New York University Center for Law & Business. He was a patron of many organizations, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Vassar College and Prep for Prep.

He received a J.D. from Columbia School of Law in 1965 and a B.S. degree from The University of Pennsylvania – The Wharton School in 1962. He was a member of the American Bar Association.

Our sympathies are with his wife and our colleague Nora Ann Wallace, his son Gary and daughter-in-law Jennifer, his daughter Lisa, his grandchildren Andrew and Allison, and his step-grandchildren Andrew and Michael at this very sad time.