In Memoriam: Wayne Whalen

The partners, attorneys and professional staff of Skadden mourn the passing of retired partner Wayne Whalen, a founder and the long-time head of our Chicago office. Mr. Whalen joined Skadden in 1984 and served as our Chicago office leader for 25 years. He oversaw the office’s diversification into a wide range of new practice areas and its development into our third-largest U.S. office. Mr. Whalen was widely recognized as one of the city’s top corporate attorneys, particularly in the areas of mutual funds and corporate governance. He also was active in Chicago politics for nearly half a century, including as an elected delegate and chairman of the drafting committee of the Constitutional Convention, which drafted the Illinois Constitution of 1970. He served as vice president of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Foundation board and was a member of the boards of the Stevenson Center and the U.S. Air Force Academy Endowment.