New COO joins Hill Ward Henderson

TAMPA — Patricia Bean has joined Hill Ward Henderson as the new chief operating officer. Bean will succeed Christopher McDonnell, who is retiring at the end of the year after more than 15 years with the law firm.

Relocating from Roseland, N.J., Bean previously served as the managing director of Brach Eichler LLC, handling the firm's strategic and ongoing operations. Prior to that, she was the executive director for the Boston law firm of Prince Lobel Tye LLP. Bean has held several high-level operations and finance positions within the professional services industry, including leading software developers that served the legal industry.

“Patricia's experience and accomplishments in the legal industry, coupled with her solid business acumen will help drive the future success of Hill Ward Henderson,” R. James Robbins Jr., managing shareholder of Hill Ward Henderson, says in a press release. “I have tremendous confidence in Patricia's abilities. She is a seasoned and trusted leader, uniquely qualified to drive strategic prioritization and accountability, with a laser-focus on operational excellence.”

Hill Ward Henderson based in Tampa has more than 100 attorneys.