Press Releases

Offit Kurman Announces Senior Management Promotions

November 28, 2023

Growing, National Law Firm Names New CEO and Executive Director

BETHESDA, MD – (November 28, 2023) – Offit Kurman has named Rob Skinner its next Chief Executive Officer and John Hurley has been named its Executive Director.

Skinner, who formerly served as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, assumes the CEO position from Aaron Bukowitz, who is retiring after sixteen years in management at Offit Kurman, serving as CEO for the past two years. Hurley joins the firm as Executive Director after serving as a senior advisor to several businesses, including tenures with several AmLaw 200 firms.

“Offit Kurman has long been a forward-looking organization – both in proactively serving our clients and in the business management of our own firm. Rob Skinner and John Hurley will manage the business side of our firm allowing our legal talent to manage their clients and cases” said Tim Lynch, President of Offit Kurman. “Rob has enjoyed a long tenure with the firm, serving as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer for the last 2 years, and he has been deeply immersed in overseeing nearly all aspects of the business functions at the firm as being centrally involved in the firm’s strategic planning process. John has 25-plus years of industry experience, giving us experienced, team-oriented business leaders with proven track records of management success. Together they will lead our team of business executives and attorney leaders that will drive Offit Kurman forward in today’s dynamic environment. Under Aaron’s watch, the firm has experienced incredible growth and success. Though the firm will greatly miss Aaron’s leadership and his focus on innovation and growth, his close partnership with Rob and other members of the senior leadership team provides a seamless starting point for this transition. We are confident that Rob and John will successfully lead us through the continued expansion of our client service offerings.”

Skinner has 20 years of experience with a background in information technology, project management and finance. He has been with Offit Kurman for 13 years, most recently as COO and is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Board of Directors.

“Throughout my tenure with the firm, I have always understood that I am a part of our succession plan, a common understanding shared among all our leaders, both in legal and executive roles. We carefully anticipate and plan out these transitions, facilitating the skills development necessary at each stage and ensuring continuity of our strategic plan and business operations. This allows our team to focus on what matters most – serving our clients’ legal needs,” noted Skinner. “We will undoubtedly see more transitions in the year ahead, and it’s all by careful design.”

With more than 25 years of business development, marketing and operations experience in the legal, management consulting and technology industries, Hurley is responsible for ensuring smooth operations throughout the firm. He fosters a high-performance, client-focused culture by collaborating with partners and firm leadership to deliver service excellence through comprehensive understanding of firm’s clients, market needs and market trends.

Firm Highlights

  • Podcasts
    Artful Donations: Exploring Museum Exchange
    In this episode of The Legal Canvas, host Caryn Keppler welcomes Robert Wainstein and Michael Darling, co-founders of Museum Exchange, the first digital platform dedicated to facilitating art donations to museums and nonprofit institutions across North America. Together, they explore how technology is transforming the way collectors, artists, estates, and cultural organizations connect through charitable giving. Robert and Michael explain the inspiration behind Museum Exchange, the challenges they set out to solve, and how the platform has grown into a network of more than 400 museums. They walk listeners through the donation process—from evaluating artwork and matching donors with institutions to handling logistics, documentation, and tax considerations. Along the way, they discuss the realities of museum collecting, why many donations are declined, and how thoughtful placements can help preserve artists' legacies while expanding access to important works of art. The conversation also explores Museum Exchange's work with living artists, artist estates, hospitals, universities, and smaller regional museums, as well as the launch of the Charis Foundation for the Arts, a nonprofit designed to steward significant collections before placing them with institutions that can best benefit from them. Robert and Michael conclude by sharing their vision for the future of charitable art transactions and how Museum Exchange is helping reshape philanthropy in the arts for generations to come.