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A
t a fall 2014 meeting of the
Chicago Bar Association’s
People
You Should Know
series, Stephen
Patton, Corporate Counsel for the City
of Chicago, answered questions from the
audience. A summary of the discussion
appears below.
What was the trajectory in becom-
ing Corporate Counsel for the City of
Chicago?
In 2011, while enjoying partnership at
Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, a friend and former
partner asked Patton if he would speak with
then Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel about
the opportunity. The more Patton spoke
with Mayor Emanuel, the more excited he
became about this new chapter in his legal
profession. Patton knew that there was a
great reward in being involved in public
service, and when he accepted the position,
he considered it a great privilege and honor
to become Corporate Counsel.
What are the responsibilities of Corpo-
ration Counsel?
The Corporation Counsel manages what
would be one of the largest law firms in the
country. He and his staff provide advice to
the Mayor, Alderman, City Departments,
City personnel, and other affiliated agen-
cies on fascinating legal issues and topics
that intersect law and policy. In addition to
personally overseeing the litigation depart-
ment, Patton also acts as an ombudsman
on a special project basis.
Under Patton’s management, the City
now keeps susbstantially more matters
in-house than they did previously. The
City litigates a large number of cases, as
approximately 50% of all civil cases that
went to verdict last year in Cook County
were City of Chicago cases. Patton is very
proud of their success rate–this year, the
City has received favorable outcomes in
73% of their cases. The City’s willingness
to litigate cases has resulted in a reduction
in complaint filings. Patton has also worked
hard to prioritize risk management by
educating City personnel on various legal
issues.
Finally, Patton has created a triage
system whereby the City provides an
early assessment and settles the cases that
should be settled. Cases no longer linger
in the system; instead, the City takes an
active approach at the very beginning of
the case. Under this new triage system, the
City anticipates saving a significant sum of
money.
How are city politics and city respon-
sibilities managed?
Fortunately, Patton has not had to wrestle
with that conflict yet. However, he was
quick to note that he is the City’s attorney;
he is not one person’s personal attorney.
Nonetheless, Patton always has to be aware
of and sensitive to the City’s politics. For
example, when he was in private practice,
he was able to unilaterally, and quickly,
make decisions. Now, depending on the
issue, he has to be aware of the various
entities within the City that are involved
and consult with them.
A PERSON OF INTEREST
“A Person of Interest” is the
CBA Record’s
new column profiling someone we think you
will enjoy getting to know. If you have an idea
for someone we should feature, we’d love to
hear from you! Send an email to publications@
chicagobar.org.
44
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
A PERSONOF
INTEREST
BY SHANNON BURKE
Getting to Know…Stephen Patton
Shannon Burke is Associate
Director of Educational Pro-
gramming in theABA’s Center
for Professional Development
and a member of the CBA
Record Editorial Board.
City of Chicago Corporation Counsel Stephen Patton, pictured here with City of Chicago CFO Lois
Scott at a City Counsel Meeting.