This year, as Venable marks its 125th birthday, we’re also celebrating a newer milestone: the five-year anniversary of our Chicago office. Since opening in 2020, Venable Chicago has grown into a vibrant and fast-moving hub for talent, serving clients across a range of industries and practices.
We spoke with Chicago partner-in-charge Ken Roberts and partner Mike Morkin to learn more about the office’s early days, its growth over the past five years, and how the team in Chicago is focused on bringing Venable’s people-first approach to legal services to the Midwest.
Q: Ken, you were instrumental in getting the Chicago office off the ground by bringing your construction law group from a previous firm. How did Venable get on your radar, and why did it feel like the right move?
Ken: I had been at one of Chicago’s oldest law firms, where I served on the executive committee for 15 years and led the firm’s strategy. It became clear that our firm was aging, and many partners were essentially looking to be acquired and retire. I’d been approached by several firms—some wanted me to take over or clean up an existing office; others wanted me to start a new one. A recruiter I trusted said, “You need to meet Stu Ingis (Venable’s chairman)—I think he’s different.” I flew out to DC, had a two-hour conversation with Stu, and walked out knowing I wanted to be at Venable.
Q: How long did it take from that initial conversation to get the office off the ground?
Ken: Typical Stu—he wanted to get the deal done right away. That was December, right before the pandemic hit. I was working on a large project and caught a severe case of COVID and ended up in the hospital. By September, once I could talk again, I called Stu. I assumed we’d wait until after the pandemic, but Stu said, “No, we’re going now.” That’s the kind of drive I respect.
Q: Mike, you joined Venable about a year after the Chicago office opened. Why did you decide to make the move from a global firm?
Mike: My old firm was changing. It had become much more focused on money than on its people—more about revenue and profits per partner than quality, culture, and the practice of law. It began to feel like a business, not a profession. That’s a trend across many large firms, unfortunately. I’d spent years in leadership trying to push back on that shift, and I was losing the battle. So, when a recruiter called about opening a new office for a national firm, I was very interested. Conversations with Stu progressed quickly. Ultimately, I came to Venable because I was excited to be part of a culture that still believed in people first.
Q: Was the idea of building something different in Chicago part of the plan from the beginning, or did that evolve more organically?
Ken: All the credit goes to Stu. A lot of firms launching offices focus on numbers—they just want bodies, so the headcount looks good. Stu took a different approach. He emphasized finding the right people, and he set the strategy and tone from the top.
Mike: The vision for Chicago isn’t that different from that of the broader firm: to find great lawyers who are also great people—those who were disillusioned with their firms and the direction the profession was heading in. In many ways, we were looking for people like Ken and me—former leaders at large firms who wanted to return to a workplace built around values, collaboration, and quality. And we continue to find them. We’ve brought in attorneys who were managing partners at their old firms, senior government lawyers like the former head of the SEC trial division in Chicago, and top trial attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These are people who could have gone anywhere, but they were drawn to the idea of building something different.
Q: Having an office in a major city like Chicago helps expand Venable’s footprint in the Midwest. But are there specific benefits in terms of industry or strategic advantage?
Ken: Chicago is a comfortable base for major companies, and a great foothold for national work. More broadly, Chicago lawyers travel well—they’re frequently tapped for high-stakes matters across the Midwest. There's less of a culture gap when a Chicago attorney shows up in Indianapolis, Minneapolis, or Des Moines. The attorneys we’ve brought on all fit that mold—capable, mobile, and trusted across a broad geographic footprint.
Mike: Beyond that, Chicago offers something unique: a far more diversified legal market than any of our other locations. Chicago has a broad range of industries—healthcare, pharma, technology, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, food and beverage, and more. That breadth means there’s something here for every part of the firm. Finally, Chicago is one of the top three U.S. markets for Fortune 500 companies. That alone opens up significant opportunities for new client relationships and talent that the firm hasn’t had access to before.
Q: Venable is celebrating its 125th birthday this year, but Chicago’s story is just beginning. How do you hope to see the office grow in the years ahead?
Ken: We want to attract top-flight talent, and I’m confident we’ve got several promising prospects. The goal isn’t just expansion for its own sake; it’s about bringing in exceptional attorneys who will, in turn, attract others of that same caliber. There’s a real opportunity to build a preeminent corporate practice. Corporate attorneys are among the hardest to recruit, but we’ve got a major asset in Ted Keim—he’s a hall-of-fame-level practitioner, well known for his deal-making acumen. I believe his presence will help draw the right people.
Mike: The long-term goal is a Chicago office with a real presence and profile—likely 100 lawyers or more. I’d like to see us grow to about 150 lawyers. The vision was to find great lawyers who are also great people. It’s been fun to see that vision come to life. We’re attracting incredible lawyers, even more talented than I thought we’d be able to bring in at this stage. There’s already a strong buzz about what we’re building, and I think we’ve started to distinguish ourselves from the competition. Now the goal is to keep it going.
125 Years Young
Want to keep the party going? Visit 125 Years Young to learn more about how we’re marking the firm’s 125th birthday, explore major milestones, and read about other anniversaries we’re celebrating in our offices around the country.