Morgan Stanley Appoints Eric Grossman Global Chief of Legal Operations

Morgan Stanley, the sixth-largest U.S. bank by assets, named Eric Grossman, its general counsel for the Americas, as global head of legal.

Grossman will oversee all of the firm’s advisory law and litigation in the newly created position, according to an internal memo from Frank Barron, who joined the New York-based company in July as chief legal officer. Jeanmarie McFadden, a Morgan Stanley spokeswoman, confirmed the contents of the memo, which was obtained today by Bloomberg News.

Grossman, who also previously was global head of litigation and general counsel for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, was named to the firm’s management committee in July. He joined the company in 2006 shortly after Gary Lynch, who he had worked for at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, became Morgan Stanley’s chief legal officer. Grossman had been a candidate to replace Lynch, a person briefed on the matter said in February.

Morgan Stanley also named Anne Cooney general counsel of its brokerage unit, according to the memo. Cooney had previously been Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s deputy general counsel. Jim Mangan and Scott Tucker were named co-heads of litigation, according to the memo.

To contact the reporters on this story: Michael J. Moore in New York at mmoore55@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Alec McCabe at amccabe@bloomberg.net.