Mary Boies
Mary McInnis Boies | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 30, 1950 Newton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | Counsel at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP; co-founder of Boies & McInnis LLP |
Mary McInnis Boies (née Mary McInnis, previously known as Schuman; born June 30, 1950) is an American lawyer currently serving as counsel at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, where she concentrates on antitrust and corporate commercial litigation. In 1988, she co-established the law firm Boies & McInnis LLP, which specialized in comparable legal fields.
Early life and education
Originating from Newton, New Jersey, Boies is the daughter of Sara Louise 'Sally' (née Bollinger) and Norman Kenneth McInnis Jr. She obtained both a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and English and a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington.
Career
Her legal profession commenced in 1975 with a fellowship at the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where she contributed to foundational hearings on airline deregulation. By 1977, she advanced to the White House Office as assistant director of the domestic policy staff, overseeing economic deregulation efforts across airlines, trucking, and railroads during the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act.
In 1979, Boies was appointed general counsel for the Civil Aeronautics Board, leading a legal team responsible for managing deregulation processes following the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. After President Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, she transitioned to New York to serve as vice president for corporate information at CBS. Departing CBS in 1985, she co-founded Boies & McInnis LLP, representing clients in sectors such as airlines, technology, pharmaceuticals, and insurance with a focus on securities, antitrust matters, and litigation. In 2012, she retired from private practice and joined Boies Schiller Flexner LLP as Counsel.
Between 2010 and 2020, Boies held two terms on the board of directors for the Council on Foreign Relations, where she chaired the Committee on Nominations and Governance; she remains a life member. Additionally, she serves on the board of directors for the Stimson Center and has previously been involved with boards including the MIT Center for International Studies, Harvard Kennedy School’s Dean's Council, and MBNA prior to its acquisition by Bank of America. Her governance experience extends to oversight roles at the Air University (United States Air Force) and participation in impartial reviews of federal judicial nominees.
Her advisory contributions encompass organizations such as the International Rescue Committee, Business Executives for National Security, and the Central European and Eurasian Law Institutes (CEELI Institute). She is also a member of the advisory council for the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum and holds a position on the Board of Directors of Paramount Global.
Boies is the founder of MaryBoies Software Inc., which developed educational software for children including titles like Top of the Key and Slam Dunk Typing. These programs achieved Top 10 sales rankings and were distributed internationally in several languages.
Personal life
Married to David Boies for nearly four decades, they have two adult children—Mary Regency Boies and Alexander Boies—and three grandchildren. Their daughter Mary is married to actor Noah Emmerich.
Since 2012, she has participated in New York City Triathlons, attaining her best result in 2020 by placing second within her age and gender division. Her triathlon involvement also includes competitions held in Napa County, Key West, and Long Island, New York.
Philanthropy
Each year, Mary and David Boies provide support to Boies Fellows at the Harvard Kennedy School, aiding students hailing from Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, as well as Central Asian nations formerly part of the Soviet Union. Their philanthropic efforts include endowing the "Maurice Greenberg Chair" at Yale Law School and funding professorships at institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, Tulane University, Columbia University, New York University School of Law, and the University of Redlands.
The couple contributed $5 million to Northern Westchester Hospital located in Mount Kisco, New York, which financed the development of a new emergency department. The Villa Grebovka in Prague, home to the Central European and Eurasian Law Institute, features a "Mary and David Boies Reading Room" named in their honor. Additionally, they founded the Mary and David Boies Chair in U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations; Gideon Rose currently occupies this position, which was first held by Philip Gordon.
For several years, the Boies have hosted an annual gathering at their residence for new Teach for America corps members in New York City, attracting between 300 and 500 participants.