We are saddened to report on the passing of our retired partner John “Jay” Westcott Jr. Jay joined Hale and Dorr in 1969 after graduating from Harvard Law School and Yale College. He became a partner and practiced corporate law until his retirement in 2012.
Jay focused his practice on counseling domestic and international corporate clients in financing, product distribution, governance, and transactional matters, including private and public offerings, licensing transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. His clients included Guardsmark, Hafslund Nycomed, Passkey International, Pronova Biocare, and The Winsor School.
Jay served as the Assistant Managing Partner for Hale and Dorr and then WilmerHale from 1980 to 2011. Among his many contributions, he served on numerous firm committees, including the Executive Committee, Management Committee, Compensation Committee, Retirement Plans Committee, and Finance Committee. Throughout his long tenure at the firm, Jay was instrumental in formulating firm policies and procedures, and was particularly focused on maintaining a strong financial footing and adopting new, efficient technologies. He played an important role in the 2004 merger that created WilmerHale and in the integration of the predecessor firms’ practices, personnel, and systems.
In the course of his daily work managing the firm’s business and representing clients, Jay became friend and mentor to many lawyers and staff. Jay cared deeply about his clients and colleagues. He worked closely with younger lawyers and devoted much time to providing them with guidance on the big picture and the nuances of careful and effective drafting. His thoughtful and measured advice and counseling were sought out by many. Jay always had an open door policy and never failed to be available to consult on any firm or practice issue. Before the advent of the Boston office cafeteria, Jay was well-known for proffering lunch invitations to his favorite spot, Lodges, which he reminded us provided good fare and value.
Jay was a pioneer in the field of law firm management. He was passionate about the professional management of law firms and spoke and wrote frequently on the subject, devoting careful analysis to issues such as management, compensation, and the role of technology. After his retirement, Jay formed Westcott Legal Consulting LLC and published several books on law firm management, including Fundamentals of Law Firm Management and Dividing the Pie: Law Firm Compensation Systems.
Jay was a longtime Trustee and Clerk of The Winsor School, an independent middle and high school for young women in Boston. He was an avid tennis player and golfer; he was the Captain of the Varsity Tennis team at Yale and won the club championship at The Country Club in Brookline. Jay’s stories, including tales of his post-graduation tour of Europe playing tennis tournaments, are legendary and will not soon be forgotten. We will miss Jay greatly.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on July 8, 2022 at the Church of the Redeemer in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, gifts in his memory may be made to the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Westcott House, 1340 East High Street, Springfield, OH 45505.