Kutak Rock announces a change in leadership. Jay Selanders, managing partner in the firm’s Kansas City office, and Dave Amsden, managing partner of the firm’s Atlanta office, have been selected to serve in the roles of Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. Their selection and appointment, effective today, signals a changing of the guard for the national law firm that rose to prominence in the early 70s and has grown to more than 500 attorneys and 18 locations.

Selanders, who currently serves on the firm’s executive committee, succeeds David Jacobson, who stepped down from the Chair position following 21 years marked by substantial growth. Selanders adds, “We will continue to focus on the firm’s growth and opportunities to serve our clients’ needs.” Selanders has represented financial institutions and manufacturers in matters pertaining to commercial credit and lending, automotive finance and franchising, and creditors in bankruptcy. He also is a Brigadier General in the Kansas Air National Guard and serves as the Assistant Adjutant General-Air, and Commander, Kansas Air National Guard. He is a veteran KC-135 pilot, and flew in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where he received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions in recovering a badly damaged aircraft. He has flown in support of numerous other operations, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Amsden has been the managing partner of the firm’s Atlanta office since 1999 and Vice Chair since 2016. Amsden’s practice has focused on single-family and multifamily housing and tax allocation district finance. He remarks, “Kutak Rock is a law firm deeply committed to its founding principles of exceptional client experiences, a purposeful value proposition motivated by fairness, and an egalitarian culture where diversity of background and perspective is valued and celebrated.”

Selanders agrees and adds, “The opportunity to lead our firm in an era of change is significant, and the responsibility to honor and uphold our values and maintain our culture is paramount. Just as the needs of our clients evolve, so must Kutak Rock. We are exceptionally talented attorneys working in established, sophisticated service areas. As we look forward, our mission is to partner with our clients and identify and deliver the legal service they require, while also advancing our business processes and service offerings to keep pace in an ever-evolving industry.”