Miles & Stockbridge Names Suzzanne Decker Chief Growth Officer
C-suite role aligns with firm’s East Coast growth strategy following recent expansion in the New York, Washington, D.C. and Richmond markets
Miles & Stockbridge, an Am Law 200 firm with more than 200 lawyers and offices in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and New York, announced today that the firm has appointed Suzzanne W. Decker as chief growth officer. A principal in the firm’s Labor, Employment Benefits & Immigration practice group and a member of the firm’s board of directors, Decker will continue in both roles. Her C-suite appointment recognizes her leadership in the firm’s growth initiatives over the past three years—a period marked by significant and sustained expansion along the East Coast—and supports the firm’s ongoing growth strategies.
Since 2023, Miles & Stockbridge successfully completed its December 2024 merger with Washington, D.C. real estate finance firm Krooth & Altman; May 2024 expansion into New York with the opening of a Midtown Manhattan office; and 2023 growth news in Richmond, Virginia. The firm also significantly grew its Richmond presence in the last year with the addition of five lawyers and opened a new office in the dynamic Pike & Rose neighborhood in North Bethesda as another step in its commitment to the metropolitan Washington market.
“Suzzanne has been a leader at Miles & Stockbridge for nearly 30 years,” said Nancy W. Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Miles & Stockbridge. “As a board member, she has guided the firm through meaningful growth. Her strategic focus on geographic expansion, lateral attorney recruitment and the successful merger with Krooth & Altman finalized last year has been central to our firm’s transformation and positions us for continued momentum, with Suzzanne playing a key role in our next phase of growth.
“This role also reflects a strategic approach that remains uncommon in the legal industry,” Greene added. “Dedicated growth leadership positions are still rare in law firms, and this role underscores our commitment to thoughtful, sustained expansion.”
Successful Integration of Krooth & Altman
With the December 2024 merger with Krooth & Altman, Miles & Stockbridge significantly expanded its presence in Washington, D.C. and “emerged as a stronger, unified firm,” said Greene. The firm began integration efforts early to foster collaboration and create new opportunities for clients and colleagues. The firm then announced in September that it was adding Melissa Johnson to Miles & Stockbridge’s leadership team in D.C., which Greene describes as “a natural and exciting evolution in this integration process.”
Johnson is a principal and a former Krooth & Altman Office Managing Principal. As previously announced, she assumed full responsibility for both of Miles & Stockbridge’s Washington, D.C. offices in January 2026, overseeing the next phase of integration following the firm’s merger.
Next Phase of Integration in Washington, D.C.
As part of its ongoing integration strategy, the firm will unite its two Washington, D.C. offices into a single location. The move will bring lawyers and professional staff together under one roof at 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, strengthening collaboration, operational efficiency and the firm’s unified market presence in the region.
This move will align operations, space and culture while enhancing opportunities for teamwork and knowledge-sharing, enabling clients to more easily access integrated, cross-disciplinary teams and benefit from greater continuity of service. The physical move is scheduled for early April and represents a planned milestone in the firm’s long-term growth and integration efforts.
“This step was always part of our D.C. integration plan, and Melissa and Suzzanne continue to execute on that strategy in 2026,” said Greene.
About Suzzanne Decker
Labor & Employment Practice
Decker continues to represent businesses in all aspects of employer-employee relations as a principal in Miles & Stockbridge’s Labor, Employment, Benefits & Immigration practice group. She has been instrumental in building the practice to serve clients across her three decades with the firm and she led the group for a decade.
In addition to advising clients daily on employment issues, she is a Chambers ranked employment litigator with significant experience defending employers in matters involving wage and hour issues, discrimination and harassment and disability.
Firm Leadership
Decker was promoted to principal early in her career—becoming one of only 10 women principals at the time. She has served on numerous committees, acting as the hiring partner and she was elected to the firm’s board six years ago, which she considers her most significant leadership role to date.
About Miles & Stockbridge
Miles & Stockbridge is an Am Law 200 law firm with more than 200 lawyers and offices across Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and New York. The firm’s lawyers help global, national, local and emerging business clients preserve and create value by helping them solve their most challenging problems. The firm, with a highly diversified client base, boasts 13 Chambers-ranked practices. For more information, please follow Miles & Stockbridge on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
