The legal world is going through massive change, and C Street is front and center advising law firm chairs, managing partners, practice group leaders, and private equity investors. The key areas of focus include AI as a leadership and capital-allocation issue, not simply a technology one; the next generation of leading firms being built on institutional platforms rather than around individual rainmakers; law firms recognizing they are billion-dollar enterprises requiring disciplined governance and management; and market positioning as a core business strategy. Today, C Street is expanding its team and deepening its leadership capabilities with the hire of Deneese Walia Levin as Managing Director, Law Firm Optimization. Levin’s addition strengthens C Street’s ability to advise law firm leaders on operations, technology, and talent as part of a single, integrated engagement.
Based in Chicago, Levin joins C Street following more than two decades as a practicing attorney and operational leader at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, one of the world’s largest law firms. Levin was a Partner at Kirkland and Head of Knowledge, Markets & Strategy for the firm’s global Debt Finance practice. By the time she left Kirkland, the practice had grown to more than 450 attorneys and was consistently recognized as one of the world’s leading debt finance practices. Levin built and led the integrated platform that supported the practice at that scale, spanning knowledge management, market intelligence, business development, training, and technology, including deployment of the firm’s early AI initiatives and management of a dozen technology vendor relationships.
In her new role, Levin will advise law firm clients on legal operations, business development, AI and technology adoption, talent and succession strategy, and strategic growth, while helping build and scale C Street’s Law Firm Optimization practice. She will partner with firm leadership, practice group heads, and management committees to identify opportunities, advance operational transformation, and position firms for sustainable, long-term success. Her arrival also underscores C Street’s growing presence in Chicago, where the firm’s team will double in size in 2026.
“To advise law firms, you have to have lived inside law firms,” said Jon Henes, Founder and CEO of C Street. “Law firms are unique institutions with unique dynamics, operations, and relationships. Deneese is a law firm insider and generational talent, and her addition will provide us with additional experience and expertise to bolster our services and add significant value.”
Law firms are entering a period where the decisions around technology, talent, governance, and market positioning will determine which firms lead over the next decade. Levin’s arrival strengthens C Street’s ability to help clients navigate key challenges and build for long-term success.
“Deneese has spent her career building the systems, talent, and technology that turn a great practice into a great institution,” said Ben Schrag, C Street’s Chief Strategy Officer. “That’s the discipline behind C Street Optimization. Having her on this team – a rare combination of practitioner and builder – makes us even stronger.”
Levin began her career at Kirkland as a corporate associate in the firm’s Debt Finance practice, becoming partner in 2009. In that role, she represented institutional clients in complex, multi-billion-dollar financing transactions and M&A, developing deep expertise in acquisition financing transaction structuring, credit documentation, and regulatory compliance. She received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and her B.A. from Northwestern University, where she also earned an Undergraduate Leadership Certificate from the Kellogg School of Management.
“Every law firm leader I talk with is wrestling with a variety of issues, and having someone who has worked through these issues from the inside is critical to growth, alignment, and success,” said Levin. “I spent my career inside a firm understanding that strategy, positioning, and talent are key to operational excellence and great client service. I’m joining C Street to be a trusted advisor to law firm leaders to ensure they have the best advice and judgment in the room.”
About C Street Advisory Group
C Street Advisory Group is a strategic communications, crisis management, and optimization firm specializing in high-stakes situations, including M&A and capital markets transactions, corporate transformations, financial challenges, and reputation management. The firm advises companies, boards, and stakeholders through moments where uncertainty, scrutiny, and risk converge. With deep experience across law, finance, communications, and public affairs, C Street helps clients navigate complexity, control narratives, and drive outcomes.
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