Marc R. Staenberg (BA 1969) to Retire as CEO of Beverly Hills Bar Association after Successful 16-Year Tenure

The Beverly Hills Bar Association and Foundation (BHBA) announced that Marc R. Staenberg will retire as CEO. He will step down on December 31, 2019, after a successful 16-year tenure with the esteemed legal organization. Staenberg, who was appointed CEO in 2004, will be named CEO Emeritus upon his retirement. The BHBA’s Board of Governors is forming a search committee to find a new CEO.

“It has been a tremendous honor to serve the Beverly Hills Bar Association and its members to advance the legal field,” says Staenberg. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented and engaged attorneys and I thank them for allowing me to help support their practices, professional priorities and steadfast regard for the law and commitment to justice. I also thank the staff for their dedicated efforts to forward BHBA’s mission each and every day. I am confident that the Board of Governors will select a new leader who will foster the organization’s deeply held core values while taking the BHBA to new heights.”

“We salute and celebrate Marc for his vision, tenacity, diplomacy, creativity and fortitude and thank him for his exceptional stewardship that has made the Beverly Hills Bar Association a stand out among its peers,” says BHBA President LaVonne Lawson. “Marc has been an extraordinary leader, creating an incredible legacy during both challenging and remarkable periods in the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s history. He provided stability and a way forward during the Bar’s tumultuous times and also oversaw the development of the organization’s new state-of-the-art facilities so vital to advancing its trajectory in the decades to come.

“Among his numerous accomplishments during his tenure, Marc, through his drive, conviction, focus and keen management skills, was instrumental in bringing the organization back from the brink following the embezzlement in 2003 of all of BHBA’s funds. He managed to ‘right the ship,’ recovering within 18 months all the money that was stolen, without ever cancelling or curtailing any programs, events or member benefits. Under his leadership, the BHBA also weathered the economic crash of 2008, actually increasing its membership and engagement. Those efforts resulted in a renaissance for the Bar. Law sections, committees and activities were added, anticipating developments in the legal landscape to provide our members with enhanced professional tools and opportunities. Under Marc’s guidance, the BHBA also substantially and meaningfully grew its outside relationships with law schools, other legal organizations and governmental bodies, benefiting our members, the legal field and the community at large in myriad ways.”

BHBA Immediate Past President Richard Kaplan further notes that, in 2007, Marc conducted the Bar’s first-ever feasibility study to determine whether there was member and community support for moving and expanding the Bar offices and facilities. “Based on the overwhelmingly positive response,” he says, “Marc spearheaded the search for suitable raw space, handled favorable negations and oversaw all aspects of the plans and construction of a new state-of-the-art bar center in the Rolex Building located in the heart of Beverly Hills. We moved into our stunning new home in April 2012, during the BHBA’s 80th Anniversary. With the BHBA’s physical needs met, Marc has since guided the upgrade of the Bar’s association management software and website to state-of-the-art next century. These initiatives and more have provided a solid foundation that will enable the next CEO to propel the BHBA well into the future.”

Staenberg, an active and dedicated member of the BHBA since the mid-1980s, previously served in a volunteer role as Chair of the Entertainment Law Section, a Board member and an officer, including as President of the association. Prior to becoming BHBA’s CEO, he was an entertainment attorney in private practice, specializing in transactional matters and litigation, including the successful representation of songwriters (Ritz v. Gaye) and the landmark victory in BMI v. Hirsch. Staenberg was formerly an Attorney-Advisor in the Department of Defense, Office of General Counsel (1973-1975) and a Senior Attorney, Office of Legal Director, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (1975-1980), in Washington D.C. He holds a J.D. from Rutgers Law School-Newark and an LL.M. from Georgetown Law Center. He earned a B.A. with a double major in History and Psychology from U of Wisconsin-Madison (1969).

The Beverly Hills Bar Association, founded in 1931, is the fifth largest bar association in California. Its mission is to serve its members, lead the legal profession and advocate for justice in the community.

The Beverly Hills Bar Foundation is the charitable affiliate of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Its mission is to promote equal access to justice through the support of law-related education and community service projects, designed to educate and assist youth, adults and seniors.

For information on the Beverly Hills Bar Association, visit www.bhba.org.