John Chapman

John S. Chapman has practiced law for more than 50 years. For most of this time, his practice as a corporate and securities lawyer focused on mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing matters for public and private companies, and counseling corporations, their management, and their boards of directors.

He also served as chair and co-chair of the Firm’s corporate and finance practice group. In recent years, John’s practice has focused on the field of not-for-profit law. He serves as counsel to and as president and a director of The Grainger Foundation. In 2005, John served as interim vice president and general counsel of the Field Museum of Natural History.

Throughout his career, John handled complex financing arrangements, securities offerings, and acquisitions as lead counsel for clients in many different industries. He represented issuers and underwriters of common and preferred stock, debt instruments, convertible securities, options and warrants in transactions ranging from private placements of securities for companies with a few investors, to large underwritten public offerings.

John was involved in spearheading the adoption of new mutual insurance company conversion legislation in Illinois. John for many years was a member of the Planning Committee of the Garrett Corporate and Securities Law Institute at Northwestern University School of Law. Currently he serves on the boards of directors of civic organizations including the Board of Trustees of the Art Institute of Chicago.

John has traveled extensively in Europe and has made a number of trips to India and Nepal. He served as an international observer for Nepal’s national legislative elections and organized the rebuilding of a village school. John has served on the Advisory Committee of the American Institute of Indian Studies in Delhi.

Professional History : Former Partner, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP

Professional Affiliations :

• Member, American Bar Association
  • Committee Federal Regulation of Securities
  • Corporate Governance Committee

Education :

• LL.B., Harvard Law School, 1966
• B.A., Yale University, 1962

Admissions : Illinois, 1966

Admitted To Practice :

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 1967