Firm News: New Legal Team Appointments

When a firm like HWLE Lawyers earns sustained recognition in Doyle’s Guide, it’s more than just a badge on the wall—it’s a signal about where legal expertise is concentrating and how that might ripple out to affect businesses and individuals far beyond Adelaide’s Park Lands. The April 2026 update naming Jamie Restas a Preeminent Lawyer in Corporate Law and a Leading Lawyer in Commercial & Business Law, alongside Kate McKeough and Cam Steele as Recommended Lawyers, reinforces HWLE’s decade-long standing as a First Tier Corporate Law Firm in South Australia. While this news originates in Australia, its implications for corporate governance, M&A activity, and private equity advising resonate in major U.S. Financial hubs where similar legal standards shape market behavior. For a city like Chicago, Illinois—a global center for derivatives trading, Fortune 500 headquarters, and venture-backed innovation—the evolution of corporate law practices abroad offers a useful lens to examine local trends in regulatory compliance, deal structuring, and governance accountability.

Chicago’s legal market, particularly in the Loop and along the Chicago River corridor near landmarks like the Willis Tower and the Merchandise Mart, has long been attuned to shifts in corporate law that influence everything from SEC filings to shareholder derivative suits. The emphasis HWLE places on areas like continuous disclosure, related party transactions, and directors’ duties under the Corporations Act mirrors ongoing debates in Delaware chancery courts and Illinois circuit courts about fiduciary obligations in closely held companies and public entities alike. When Jamie Restas advises on capital raisings or private equity/venture capital transactions—work highlighted in his profile involving firms like Corporate Travel Management and VHM Limited—it reflects a global trend where legal counsel must navigate not just contractual terms but likewise evolving expectations around transparency and stakeholder engagement. In Chicago, this plays out in the growing scrutiny of SPAC formations, the rise of ESG-linked financing instruments, and the increasing use of special committees in M&A deals to mitigate conflict-of-interest risks—all areas where corporate lawyers are expected to act as both strategists and sentinels.

This kind of legal expertise doesn’t operate in a vacuum. It intersects with institutions like the Chicago Bar Association’s Corporate Law Committee, which regularly hosts CLE programs on evolving fiduciary standards, and the University of Chicago Law School, where scholars like Todd Henderson and Larry Ribstein have long analyzed the economic implications of corporate governance frameworks. The Illinois Secretary of State’s Department of Business Services, which oversees corporate filings for over 300,000 active entities in the state, often serves as the frontline witness to trends in entity formation, mergers, and dissolutions—data that lawyers like those at HWLE help interpret for clients navigating complex restructurings. Even the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, through its surveys of business conditions and credit markets, indirectly reflects how legal certainty in corporate law affects investment decisions and access to capital. These entities collectively form an ecosystem where sophisticated legal advice isn’t just about avoiding litigation—it’s about enabling sustainable growth in a regulated environment.

Given my background in analyzing how macro-level professional trends translate into local service needs, if you’re a business owner, executive, or investor in Chicago feeling the pressure of heightened governance expectations or considering a merger, acquisition, or capital raise, here are three types of local professionals you should seek—and exactly what to look for when hiring them.

First, look for Boutique Corporate Governance Advisors who specialize in helping mid-sized private companies and family-owned businesses implement robust board protocols, conflict-of-interest policies, and disclosure procedures that align with both Illinois state law and emerging best practices from national exchanges. These advisors shouldn’t just offer templates—they should demonstrate experience conducting board effectiveness assessments, advising on independent director recruitment, and guiding clients through shareholder rights plan (poison pill) considerations in hostile takeover scenarios. Prioritize those who collaborate regularly with corporate secretaries and have worked with companies listed on the NASDAQ or NYSE, even if their clients are privately held, as this indicates exposure to rigorous governance standards.

Second, consider M&A Transaction Structurers with Cross-Border Experience—lawyers who don’t just draft purchase agreements but understand how foreign regulatory regimes (like Australia’s Corporations Act or the EU’s Takeover Directive) might impact U.S. Deals involving international buyers or sellers. In Chicago’s globally connected economy, where firms routinely engage with partners in Asia, Europe, and Oceania, this expertise is invaluable. Seek professionals who have handled transactions involving in specie distributions, scheme of arrangement structures, or foreign private issuers accessing U.S. Markets, and who can explain how differences in disclosure timing or shareholder approval thresholds could affect deal timelines. Fluency in coordinating with foreign counsel and experience managing closing conditions across multiple jurisdictions are non-negotiable.

Third, engage Venture Capital and Private Equity Counsel who focus on the full lifecycle of fund formation, portfolio company governance, and exit strategies—particularly for tech, healthcare, and agribusiness ventures scaling in the Midwest. These lawyers should be versed in drafting limited partnership agreements that balance GP flexibility with LP protections, advising on secondary transactions, and structuring earn-outs or rollover equity in management-led buyouts. Look for those who regularly advise funds investing in Illinois-based startups through initiatives like the Illinois Innovation Network or who have worked with portfolio companies exiting via strategic sale to firms like those HWLE has advised (e.g., in corporate travel or gold operations). Their value lies not just in closing deals but in preventing post-closing disputes through clear, enforceable terms.

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