Bingham McCutchen appoints L. Tracee Whitley as new chief operating officer

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Bingham McCutchen LLP, a global law firm with a major presence in Boston, announced the appointment Wednesday of L. Tracee Whitley as its new chief operating officer.

Whitley, 46, was previously deputy chief operating officer. She succeeds William A. Bachman, 67, who now holds the title of executive director of partner leadership development.

In a statement, Bingham McCutchen chairman Jay S. Zimmerman noted that he and Bachman worked together closely on a series of mergers and acquisitions that grew Bingham McCutchen from a a 175-lawyer regional firm to a firm with 1,000 attorneys and offices in such cities as Beijing, London, New York, and San Francisco.