Seasoned Chicago-Based, C-Level Law Firm Executive Thomas Gaughan Named Honigman’s New Chief Operating Officer

Honigman LLP announced the arrival of longtime law firm executive Thomas Gaughan as the firm’s new Chief Operating Officer, following the retirement of Robert Kubic who had been COO since 2008. Gaughan will be based in the Chicago office, which is home to more than 40 attorneys.

Gaughan joins Honigman from ArentFox Schiff LLP, where he served as Co-Chief Operating Officer following the completion of the merger earlier this year between Arent Fox LLP and Schiff Hardin LLP. Gaughan joined Schiff Hardin LLP in 2018 after having held earlier C-level law firm roles as a COO at Baker McKenzie and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for DLA Piper and Locke Lord. Gaughan also served in financial and administrative leadership roles for a privately-held group of technology companies — Systems Resources Consulting Inc. and Cosatech Inc. — and Baxter Healthcare.

“We are thrilled for Tom to join our leadership team. Following an extensive national search, we found that Tom possesses the entrepreneurial spirit and pragmatism which are at the core of Honigman’s culture and approach to our business. We will surely benefit from his business perspective in the development and execution of strategic plans and his experience in managing operations within law firms,” said Honigman Chair and CEO David Foltyn. “Honigman continues to grow sensibly, to grow profitably and to take advantage of the financial strength that we’ve carefully cultivated over the years. Working alongside our new Chicago office managing partner Kristen Boike, Tom’s presence also underscores our commitment to the growth strategy for our newer offices in Chicago and Washington, DC.”

Honigman’s Chicago attorneys focus on corporate, private equity and highly complex U.S. and international financing transactions, real estate transactions and financings, litigation, life sciences, intellectual property and patent litigation, and insurance recovery and counseling.

Gaughan earned his M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Chicago and his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Loyola University. A certified public accountant (CPA), Gaughan began his career as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the late 1980s.

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