Sidley Leader Yvette Ostolaza Shares Growth Strategy

Sidley Austin LLP crossed $3.74 billion in revenue last year and has its sights set on $4 billion — but according to its top leader, the number is a byproduct, not the goal. The real question is whether the firm is built for what comes next. Today on On the Merits: Yvette Ostolaza, chair of Sidley's management committee, sits down with Bloomberg Law reporter Meghan Tribe to discuss strategic lateral hiring, formal integration plans, and a willingness to pull back from practices and geographies that aren't growing. "There are no sacred cows," Ostolaza said. "We need to continue to evaluate how the industry is changing." She also weighed in on how Sidley is treating AI: not as a pilot project, but as core leadership infrastructure deployed across the firm with dedicated governance, training, and practice-group liaisons. "It doesn't replace judgment, it sharpens it," Ostolaza said.