Foley & Lardner LLP has announced that Myles D. Berman has been named managing partner of its Chicago office, effective August 1. Berman succeeds Foley partner Mark L. Prager, who has served the firm in this role since 2004 and will now focus on his bankruptcy and business reorganizations practice.

As Chicago office managing partner, Berman will be responsible for the professional development and management of 300 attorneys and staff. In this role, he will help formulate and implement strategy and recruiting efforts while continuing to expand Foley’s presence in the market. Under Berman’s leadership, the Chicago office will continue to build its strong core practices in corporate transactional and securities work, private equity, bankruptcy and business reorganizations, energy, intellectual property and real estate, while growing in other areas as well.

“I’m excited to take on this new leadership role and build on the solid foundation that Mark, my partners and associates have laid to strengthen Foley’s national platform in Chicago,” said Berman.

In addition to serving as Foley’s Chicago office managing partner, Berman will co-chair the firm’s national Government Relations Practice, and will continue to be a member of the Government & Public Policy and Environmental Practice Groups and the Energy Industry Team. He also serves as a director of the firm’s federal Political Action Committee and is a member of Foley’s national Pro Bono Committee. Berman maintains an active practice representing clients in a broad range of matters including corporate, real estate and financial transactions.

“Myles is highly regarded and respected in the Chicago legal community and also provides the necessary thinking and strategic vision to continue to lead the growth of Foley’s Chicago office,” said Jay O. Rothman, chairman and CEO of Foley. “Mark played a key role in the successful growth of the Chicago office during his tenure as managing partner and we thank him for his dedication and commitment to serving the firm.”

“After nearly eight years as Foley’s Chicago office managing partner, this transition offers me the opportunity to focus on client representation, while also continuing to work closely with Myles to recruit top legal talent,” said Prager.

Chicago born and bred, Berman actively serves on the boards of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc., the Public Interest Law Initiative, Business and Professional People for the Public Interest ("BPI"), the Anti-Defamation League, the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago and the Illinois Equal Justice Commission. Berman also serves, pro bono, as a counselor to the Board of Governors of the City Club of Chicago, and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.

Berman has been named to the 2005 and 2007-2012 lists of Illinois Super Lawyers, in government relations and political law. He is an adjunct professor of law at Northwestern University School of Law and was an adjunct professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a master’s degree in city planning, for a decade. 

With approximately 900 attorneys in 21 offices, Foley & Lardner LLP provides award-winning business and legal insight to clients across the country and around the world. Our team-based approach, innovative technology, and focus on value and client service are continually recognized by our clients and the legal industry. In a recent survey* of Fortune 1000 corporate counsel, Foley received a top five ranking out of more than 300 firms for delivering exceptional client service. In addition, Foley received 19 national first-tier rankings on the 2011 – 2012 U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms” list, and CIO magazine recognized Foley for technological innovation that enhances business value by naming the firm to its prestigious CIO-100 list in 2011. Learn more at Foley.com.