With over three decades of experience spanning corporate, government, and private practice, Chaka Patterson is a distinguished attorney and business strategist. His diverse career includes leadership roles in Fortune 100 and Fortune 1000 companies, public service, and private practice, making him uniquely qualified to guide legal professionals through their own career transformations.
Chaka’s career is an unusual one: he has sat in the General Counsel’s seat and on the business side, leading a corporate legal department, running a corporate treasury function, and practicing at the partner level in private practice.
That combination is exactly what he teaches, helping lawyers connect legal expertise to business impact and earn a seat at the table with boards and the C-suite. His full record of roles, results, and recognition is below.
At Adtalem, overhauled the Legal department, transforming it into a top-quality, ethical, and compliance-minded business. Hired a team of 30, implemented new processes, and established a culture of accountability to turn around the underperforming department. Increased department’s engagement and enablement scores from 45% to 94%. Drove a significant increase in client net promoter score (NPS) from -30 to +47, positioning the team for recognition in the top 25% of law departments in the country. Revised all corporate governance policies, including Code of Conduct, Governance Principles, and Insider Trading Policy; prepared all SEC filings. Presented significant legal and regulatory matters to the Board quarterly.
Participated in numerous M&A transactions, handling due diligence and negotiations as well as legal advisory. Led the divestiture of $1B DeVry University division; divestiture of $100M Carrington division; $120M acquisition of On-Course Learning; and divestiture of $500M Adtalem Brazil division. Oversaw the $1.5B acquisition of Walden University, which included the issuance of $800M in bonds and $850M term loan B to finance the transaction.
At Exelon, managed an $8 billion credit facility. Invested $1 billion in daily cash. Managed $10 billion worth of bond issuances; refinanced $1 billion of existing bonds and significantly reduced interest expense. Led hostile takeover attempt of a competitor. Created a program for analyzing institutional investors, which increased sell-side buy recommendations and expanded ownership among the top 10 investors. Chaired Risk Management Committee. Served as ex officio member of the Risk Oversight Committee of the Board.
As an AmLaw 50 Partner, regularly advises C-Suite and Boards of Directors on M&A, corporate governance, proxy issues, and crisis management. Has tried 25 jury and bench trials and argued 15 appeals in federal and state court, including the 7th Circuit and Illinois Supreme Court.
Honors & Awards
Honored by the Harvard Law Society of Illinois as a Role Model of the Year
Honored by the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce for leadership in diversity in business
Honored by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, received Diversity in Action Award
Honored as one of the top 40 lawyers under 40 in Illinois by the Illinois Law Bulletin
Inducted into History Makers (2025)
Involvement
Member, Law Council – University of Chicago Law School
Former Director, Chicago Public Library Board
Former Director, Lurie Children’s Hospital Board
Member, Board of Directors, Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys
Personalized coaching that helps legal professionals enhance their business acumen and strategic influence within their organizations.
Collaborative, team-based workshops that help legal departments and law firms turn legal expertise into business impact.
The leadership playbook for General Counsel and legal leaders who want to drive business impact. Rated 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon.
Actionable insights and strategies for turning legal expertise into business success. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
