Robert Brown joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton as chief operating officer following the retirement of Ted Tinson, who has served as COO for the firm since 2014.

Brown was most recently co-executive director and chief commercial officer at Shearman & Sterling, where he helped to navigate its strategic merger with Allen & Overy. He spent more than eight years at Shearman & Sterling, where his initial responsibilities included serving as director of strategic initiatives and chief commercial officer where he focused on strategy, lateral partner recruiting and business development. As co-executive director, Brown oversaw all aspects of firm management, including client service, financial reporting, banking relationships, revenue and expense management. Brown is based in Sheppard Mullin’s New York office.

“Rob brings more than 25 years of extraordinary legal, business operations, banking and consulting experience to the firm, which are an excellent match for the firm as we continue to build on the financial strength and disciplined operations that we have carefully executed over the years,” Luca Salvi, chair of Sheppard Mullin, said. “We are confident that his experience, background and personality are an excellent match for Sheppard Mullin, and complements our goals and vision for the future.”

Brown replaced Tinson as COO. Tinson is retiring after nearly 10 years at Sheppard Mullin. During his tenure, Tinson helped the firm grow from 600 lawyers to more than 1,000 lawyers, expanded the firm’s presence both domestically and internationally and helped achieve AmLaw 50 status with more than $1 billion in revenue.

“I’m honored and excited to join Sheppard Mullin and be part of a firm with rich history and culture of stewardship for its clients,” Brown said. “I look forward to working with the firm’s leadership to navigate the future and build on the firm’s already successful platform.”

As COO, Brown will be responsible for the daily operations of the firm, including its 16 offices around the U.S. and in London, Brussels, Seoul and Shanghai.