Hinshaw Reorganizes Senior Management Team

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP today announced that Chicago-based partner Peter D. Sullivan, a member of both the firm's Executive Committee and Management Committee, is the firm's new Chairman. Sullivan succeeds Kevin Joseph Burke in the top leadership role. Burke has been tapped to fill a newly-created role spearheading strategic relationships and innovation efforts for the Firm. Burke's new role reflects the Firm's recognition of the heightened importance of such efforts.

"I am delighted at the opportunity to lead Hinshaw at this pivotal point in our 85-year history," said Sullivan. "Kevin has done a remarkable job as Chairman, and his are large shoes to fill. We are fortunate his considerable vision and planning skills will continue to be a resource as we move ahead. We are grateful for his recent service as Chairman and look forward to his contributions to Hinshaw's future success."

A graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Sullivan joined Hinshaw in May 1983. He is a past leader of the firm's Business Litigation Department and a past regional director of the firm. As Chairman, Sullivan will also chair the firm's Executive and Management Committees. Sullivan comes from a family of lawyers. His sister, The Honorable Sharon M. Sullivan, is the Presiding Judge of the County Division in Cook County. Sullivan's late father, The Honorable Howard W. Sullivan, was the Presiding Judge of the Cook County Municipal Division.

Sullivan's legal practice is focused on litigating complex professional liability and commercial matters, including actions against accountants and attorneys, director and officer liability and coverage cases, consumer class action cases and breach of contract cases. Sullivan will continue to work with the business litigation team to resolve clients' disputes while serving as the firm's Chairman.

Hinshaw's Management Committee has asked Burke to assume his new role as a means of strengthening and expanding its competitive advantage among AmLaw 200 firms. Burke will be responsible for prioritizing the development and execution of forward-facing strategies to anticipate, plan for and manage change across the firm's 21-office platform that spans 11 states and London.

"The practice of law is rapidly being transformed as a result of many forces, including new technologies, artificial intelligence, global economic uncertainties, and a shifting political and regulatory environment in the U.S. and abroad," said Burke, who joined Hinshaw in early 1984 and has been active in the firm's management structure since 1997. "Peter and I have been focused on the ongoing period of enormous change in the legal services market. Our goal is to deepen our understanding of the change and help our clients benefit from it. While our lawyers focus on the here-and-now of the challenges facing the Firm's clients, Peter and I are committed to making sure Hinshaw is also a law firm of the future, at the leading edge of delivering the legal services our clients require to achieve success in the next decade and beyond."

Sullivan and Burke have worked together on various management projects at Hinshaw for nearly 20 years. Sullivan was elected by the capital partners in the firm on Thursday. The leadership changes are effective immediately.