Faegre Drinker Launches, Forming Top 50 Firm Designed for Clients

FAEGRE DRINKER – Feb. 1, 2020 — Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath (Faegre Drinker) launched global operations, effective Feb. 1, 2020. Faegre Drinker is the combination of Faegre Baker Daniels, an international law firm with deep roots in the Midwest, and Drinker Biddle & Reath, a full-service national law firm with storied East Coast origins.

With more than 1,300 attorneys, consultants and professionals in 22 locations across the U.S., U.K. and China, Faegre Drinker is one of the nation’s 50 largest law firms based on both size and projected gross revenue of nearly $1 billion.

The firm is led by Co-Chairs Thomas C. Froehle, Jr. and Andrew C. Kassner.

“Our leadership team committed early on that Faegre Drinker would be a firm designed for clients,” said Froehle. “Our broadened capabilities and geographic reach, combined with a shared commitment to excellence without arrogance, position us to better serve our clients.”

Kassner added, “This is a transformational combination. Bringing together two remarkable organizations with similar cultures and values enables us to handle a client’s most complex business challenges. We look forward to introducing the Faegre Drinker difference to our clients.”

Faegre Drinker builds on both legacy firms’ strong transactional, regulatory and litigation focuses and matches strength with strength in the firm’s four largest practices — corporate group, litigation, product liability & mass torts, and intellectual property.

“We are client-focused and committed to bringing the whole firm — leveraging Faegre Drinker’s full capabilities — to benefit our clients,” said Executive Partner Gina M. Kastel, whose responsibilities include partner integration across the firm.

In addition to adding scale and depth, Faegre Drinker’s operations leaders are investing in innovation and new service delivery models. Faegre Drinker Chief Operations Officer Jane C. Koehl will lead the firm’s day-to-day business operations and operations leadership team.

“Our operations leadership team brings together experienced business executives from both legacy platforms — people who understand the priorities of our clients and the importance of delivering creative solutions,” explained Koehl.  “We are excited to harness the talent of our combined firm to help our clients achieve their goals.”

In addition to Froehle, Kassner, Kastel and Koehl, the firm’s executive leadership team includes executive partners David W. Barrett, William M. Connolly, Judith E. Reich and Jack R. Sperber. Faegre Drinker leadership is balanced across legacy firms and office locations to leverage the perspectives, strengths and inputs of colleagues of various backgrounds and experience. Additional Faegre Drinker leaders include:

Board Members

• Bonnie Allyn Barnett, Philadelphia           
• Kerry L. Bundy, Minneapolis        
• W. Morgan Burns, Minneapolis   
• Gretchen Miller Busch, Denver    
• Mary Devlin Capizzi, Washington, D.C.
• Tracy Gregar Ferak, Chicago      
• Edward A. Gramigna, Jr., Florham Park
• Sandra Dawn Grannum, Florham Park / New York     
• David J.F. Gross, Silicon Valley
• Michael J. Kanute, Chicago
• Gina M. Kastel, Minneapolis
• Marc A. Leaf, New York    
• Sarah Bassler Millar, Chicago
• Heather Carson Perkins, Denver
• F. Douglas Raymond, Philadelphia                  
• Amy C. Seidel, Minneapolis
• John G. Smith, Washington, D.C.          
• Joseph L. Smith, Jr. Indianapolis

Executive Leadership Team (* denotes also a member of the Board)

• David W. Barrett, Indianapolis
• William M. Connolly, Philadelphia
• Thomas C. Froehle, Jr.*, Indianapolis  
• Andrew C. Kassner*, Philadelphia / Wilmington
• Gina M. Kastel*, Minneapolis
• Jane C. Koehl, Washington, D.C.
• Judith E. Reich, Princeton / Philadelphia
• Jack R. Sperber, Denver

Practice Group Leaders (alphabetical by practice name)

• Sarah Bassler Millar, Benefits & Executive Compensation, Chicago
• Daniel J. Collins, co-leader, Business Litigation, Chicago
• Deborah A. Ellingboe, co-leader, Business Litigation, Minneapolis
• Mark A. Voigtmann, Construction & Real Estate Litigation, Indianapolis
• James M. Fischer, co-leader, Corporate Group, Florham Park / New York
• Keith P. Radtke, co-leader, Corporate Group, Minneapolis
• Michael R. Stewart, Finance & Restructuring, Minneapolis
• David R. Zook, Government & Regulatory Affairs, Washington, D.C.
• Jeffrey T. Ganiban, Health Law, Washington, D.C.
• Stephen A. Serfass, Insurance, Philadelphia
• James R. Steffen, Intellectual Property, Minneapolis
• Joshua B. Deringer, Investment Management, New York / Philadelphia
• Cheryl D. Orr, Labor & Employment, San Francisco
• Lisa S. Presser, Private Client, Princeton
• Joseph Tanner, Product Liability & Mass Torts, Indianapolis
• Scott A. Anderegg, Real Estate, Minneapolis

   

  Industry Leaders (alphabetical by industry name)

• Heather B. Abrigo, co-leader, Financial Services
• Jeffrey D. Hedlund, co-leader, Financial Services
• John P. Mandler, co-leader, Food & Agribusiness
• Breia L. Schleuss, co-leader, Food & Agribusiness
• Mary Devlin Capizzi, co-leader, Health & Life Sciences
• Patrick S. Cross, co-leader, Health & Life Sciences
• James F. Jorden, co-leader, Insurance
• Sara Manske Powell, co-leader, Insurance
• Kathleen M. Murphy, co-leader, Retail
• Zoë K. Wilhelm, co-leader, Retail

   

  Office Leaders (alphabetical by office location)

• Eileen Considine, Albany
• Bing Wang, Beijing
• John R. Marcil, Boulder
• James L. Sawyer, co-leader, Chicago
• Patrick M. Miller, co-leader, Chicago
• W. Neil Rambin, Dallas
• Jared B. Briant, Denver
• Ross W. Johnson, Des Moines
• Andrew B. Joseph, Florham Park
• Abigail M. Butler, Fort Wayne
• Stephen J. Jorden, Hartford
• Kathy L. Osborn, Indianapolis
• Alex Denny, London
• Sheldon Eisenberg, Los Angeles
• Steven C. Kennedy, Minneapolis
• Marc A. Leaf, New York
• Daniel H. Aiken, Philadelphia
• Dorothy E. Bolinsky, Princeton
• Cheryl D. Orr, San Francisco
• Wendy Yan, Shanghai
• David J.F. Gross, Silicon Valley
• Maureen Donahue Hardwick, co-leader, Washington, D.C.
• Nicholas P. Manetto, co-leader, Washington, D.C.
• Thomas P. McGonigle, Wilmington

   

  Operations Leadership Team (alphabetical by professional name)

• Lisa A. Brown, Chief Performance Officer, Chicago
• Kristin L. Coda, Chief Marketing Officer, Florham Park
• Scott B. Connolly, Chief Talent Officer, Philadelphia
• Melanie S. Green, Chief Client Development Officer, Indianapolis
• Maria L.H. Lewis, Chief Diversity Officer, Philadelphia
• Daniel P. McLoughlin, Chief Technology Officer, Florham Park
• Kurt Morris, Managing Director of Practice Management, Philadelphia
• Laurie A. Schrader, Chief Financial Officer, Indianapolis
• John L. Stanley, Managing Director of Operations, Indianapolis
• Shawn M. Swearingen, Chief Innovation Officer, Minneapolis

A Faegre Drinker fact sheet with additional information is available, along with the news release announcing the firm’s combination. 

About Faegre Drinker

Faegre Drinker is a firm designed for clients, providing exceptional transactional, litigation and regulatory services to organizations ranging from emerging enterprises to multinational companies. With more than 1,300 attorneys, consultants and professionals in 22 locations across the United States, United Kingdom and China, Faegre Drinker is one of the nation’s top 50 law firms. Faegre Drinker Consulting and the District Policy Group, the firm’s advisory and advocacy divisions based in Washington, D.C. provide public policy, regulatory and technical services to key sectors of the economy. Additional services include Tritura Information Governance, the firm’s data science subsidiary, and Innovative Health Strategies, a health care consultancy that helps hospitals operate efficiently and improve quality of service.