James Goodnow Bio

James Goodnow is Fennemore’s CEO. Nearly two decades after starting his career at the firm as a file clerk, he became the youngest known chief executive of a major law firm in U.S. history when he started in his current role in 2018. He earned his J.D. at Harvard Law School, a master’s degree in entrepreneurship at the University of Cambridge Business School (U.K.), and a B.S. from Santa Clara University, where he graduated first in his class. During his time as CEO, James has focused on positioning Fennemore for the future. He has helped lead the M&A teams that have resulted in the opening of 15 new offices around the U.S.—allowing the firm to better serve its business client base. Fennemore’s upward trajectory led to it being named the #1 firm in the U.S. for year-over-year revenue growth according to the 2023 American Lawyer Am Law 200 rankings (45.6%). He’s been at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation, driving the launch of Project BlueWave AI, an industry-leading, proprietary, and secure system that empowers teams to deliver exceptional client service. He’s helped pioneer Fennemore Forward, a bold new platform redefining workplace flexibility. He and the firm’s senior leadership team believe in listening carefully and always putting people first—a philosophy that contributes to Fennemore’s industry-leading retention and job-satisfaction statistics. James is known for his thought leadership at the intersection of law and business. He has been featured on the cover of The American Lawyer (“Meet the New Boss … James Goodnow Shows What the Firm of the Future Might Look Like”), and ABA Journal named him one of “America’s Techiest Lawyers” in a cover story. Apple profiled James on Apple.com and in a worldwide “Apple in Business” ad campaign. He is a contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine and writes a law firm management, leadership, and innovation column for Above the Law. He is the co-author of Motivating Millennials: How to Recognize, Recruit and Retain the Next Generation of Leaders, which debuted at #1 on Amazon in the business management new release category. A lifelong learner, James Goodnow shares the 10 books that have most influenced his leadership and thinking. James is involved in the community. He has chaired, served on the board, or been involved in many organizations, including Make-A-Wish AZ, TGen (Translational Genomics Research Institute), the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona, Brophy College Preparatory, the AZ Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired, and more. He is married to his high school sweetheart and is the proud father of two children. Outside of the office, James can be found playing pickleball with his family. He enjoys wine because it’s about people, culture, history, science, and relationships. He’s a Level I sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers.