Foley & Lardner

The oldest and largest law firm in Wisconsin, it was established in 1842 as Finch & Lynde.[2] Its founders were Asahel Finch, Jr., a Republican and former Michigan state representative,[3] and William Pitt Lynde, a Democrat who later served in the United States House of Representatives, the Wisconsin state legislature, and as mayor of Milwaukee.[2][4][5] By 1970 the firm had changed its name 11 times, and was beginning to grow substantially.[6] In 2001, after absorbing firms in Chicago and Washington, D.C., it was the 11th largest firm in the United States.[7]

The firm's current name was adopted in 1969,[8] and refers to two name partners, both corporate lawyers: Leon Foley, who died at age 83 in 1978 after more than 50 years with the firm,[9] and Lynford Lardner, Jr., who died at age 58 in 1973 after drowning in the Milwaukee River.[10] When the firm merged with Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP in 2018, the plan -- (at least initially) -- was to use, in some cities, a firm name including the name partner name "Gardere".[11]

In 2020, Foley & Lardner partner Cleta Mitchell aided Trump in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and pressure election officials to "find" votes for him to defeat Democratic candidate Joe Biden.[12] Mitchell criticized Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, accusing him without evidence of saying things "that are simply not correct" about the presidential results in Georgia.[13] She also claimed without evidence that dead people voted in the election.[14] When confronted with why a Foley & Lardner partner was involved in aiding Trump in overturning the 2020 election, Foley & Lardner distanced itself from Mitchell.[15] On January 5, 2021, Foley & Lardner announced that Mitchell had resigned.[16]

Foley & Lardner's primary practice areas include intellectual property, business law, litigation, and regulatory. Notable clients of the firm include the Nicholas Maduro regime in Venezuela,[17] Johnson Controls, CVS,[15] Harley Davidson, Major League Baseball,[2] and Acciona.

• William M. Conley, U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Wisconsin, was a partner in the Madison office[18]
• Jim Doyle, Former Governor of Wisconsin, is of counsel in the Madison office[19]
• Bob DuPuy, former president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball, has been a partner in the Milwaukee and New York offices[20]
• Thomas E. Fairchild, Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge and Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, was an associate in the Milwaukee office from 1945 to 1948[21]
• Russ Feingold, Former United States Senator from Wisconsin, was an associate in the Madison office[22]
• Brian Hagedorn, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, worked at the Milwaukee office
• William Isaac, Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from 1981 to 1985 and current Chairman of consulting firm LECG’s Global Financial Services
• Joan F. Kessler, Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge and candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, was a partner in the Milwaukee office
• Scott L. Klug, Former United States Congressman from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district, is a public affairs director in the Madison office[8]
• Brett H. Ludwig, U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, was a partner at the Milwaukee office[23]
• Marcia Morales Howard, U.S. District Court judge for the Middle District of Florida, was an associate in the Jacksonville office[24]
• Lisa S. Neubauer, Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge, was a partner in the Milwaukee office[25]
• Barack Obama, Former President of the United States, was a summer associate in the Chicago office
• Ulice Payne, Jr., Former CEO of the Milwaukee Brewers and first African-American CEO of a Major League Baseball franchise, was a partner in the Milwaukee office
• Fred Ridley, current Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club
• Manuel Rocha, Former U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia (2000–02), is a Senior Advisor on International Business in the Miami office
• Cleta Mitchell, attempted to unlawfully overturn the 2020 presidential election and resigned in disgrace.
• Antonin Scalia, United States Supreme Court Justice, was a summer associate in the Milwaukee office[26]