David Knight retiring as Stephens Inc. general counsel

Stephens Inc. announced Thursday (July 28) that David Knight, the longtime general counsel and executive vice president, will retire effective July 29, 2022. Knight joined Stephens in 1988 as the firm’s first general counsel.

Rachel Mondl Mayo will succeed Knight and has been with Stephens since February 2021.

“This has been an incredible opportunity to work for the Stephens, one of America’s great capitalist families. Stephens Inc. has provided me with a widely varied legal practice involving multiple disciplines, including corporate, securities, regulatory, employment, real estate and international law, litigation, arbitration, and lobbying and political matters. But the best part was getting to work with a large and growing group of smart, hard-working people committed to building long-term relationships with our clients and putting their best interests first. In my line of work, it doesn’t get better than that. It’s been a great adventure. I wish Rachel well in this rewarding and important role,” said Knight.

“David has been a pragmatic and discerning steward of Stephens, giving us the assurance that our interests and concerns were always in good, capable hands. This trust in David began with my dad, continuing with me and now the third Stephens generation. We are ever grateful for his governance and leadership and we wish him well in retirement,” said Warren A. Stephens, Chairman, President and CEO of Stephens Inc. “In the spirit of good stewardship, Rachel is a formidable successor well-matched to our business objectives and the future of the industry. We look forward to her leadership.”

Mayo brings a wealth of corporate and government experience to the role. Most recently, she held senior executive positions at the U.S. Department of Labor, including as Chief of Staff to then-Secretary Eugene Scalia, and as Deputy Solicitor, the second-ranking lawyer in the Department. Before her time in government, she worked in the Washington, D.C. office of an international law firm, where she primarily represented firms in the financial industry and other major corporations.

Mayo is a summa cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University and received her J.D. with honors from Emory University School of Law. She clerked for the Honorable Frank Hull, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

“I’m thrilled to be selected as the next General Counsel at Stephens Inc., and congratulate David on his extraordinary tenure as General Counsel. One of the things that drew me to Stephens was the name on the door — the Stephens family’s commitment to the business over generations is unique in the industry. I look forward to working with all at Stephens as we advance the firm’s culture of client-driven service and continue to grow the business,” said Mayo.